Ever, Ever After
by PassionatelyHiddlestoned
Summary: Destiel Shrek AU- Dean is a prostitute who works at the Poison Apple, the villain brothel near Far Far Away. One night, when Castiel, Prince of Far Far Away, comes in for a drink in disguise, Dean seduces him. But when tides turn and Dean realizes who he's been after, he finds himself conflicted- stay in the life he's always known, or chase after his own happily ever?
1. Possibilities

**A/N: Yay! Destiel in the Shrek universe! Who'd have thought?! This took me so long to write and edit, but it was so fun hehe guilty pleasure. If you haven't already, I'd suggest watching Shrek 1 before reading this, even though it doesn't really follow that structure per say, but, well, sort of does in a more adult way... P.S. there's donkey and puss in boots characters too that come along! :)**

**Here are the trigger warnings, just in case: explicit smut, swearing, vivid description of consensual prostitution, panic attacks, loss of loved ones and coping, nightmares, self-loathing, minor battle violence, and mcd sort of? Enjoy!**

* * *

"Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten."

― G.K Chesterton

* * *

Castiel stared out the nicely polished stain glass of his window. He could see the village below the castle, and the townspeople milling around, talking, interacting, and shopping.

Sometimes, Cas wished he could go down there, and walk amongst them without everyone parting ways and bowing, curtseying, without any formal ways of addressing him, like: 'your Highness,' or 'my Prince.'

For him to be the King of Far Far Away was the goal of King Zachariah and Queen Naomi, his parents. Well... he didn't really have any other life goals in mind, so why not? But it was usually only a matter of time before he simply got bored, and wished to just blend in.

_That is an impossibility_, he told himself.

He kept staring out the window.

* * *

"Hey there," Dean smirked, shooting a wink over at someone he really wanted to gag after looking at, "Haha... lookin' good tonight... all right!" he grinned, and turned, making his circles around the tavern.

Captain Hook was on piano, providing live entertainment, while Benny, the kingdom's most sociable vampire, was serving drinks. This time of night was the busiest- and what the ugly stepsisters lacked in looks, he's gotta say, they made up for in running a damn good bar.

"How you doing?" he smiled sultrily at an old hag sitting in the back. Her scowl lifted for a second, and she almost seemed to send him a kiss. Dean smiled, and turned away before she could see him shudder. Would it really kill this place to get some hot people in here once in a while?!

God, Dean liked to remember the night, it was last week, he believed, when Sleeping Beauty came in. Let's just say, she did everything _but_ sleep. Dean grinned.

Royalty wasn't very well liked in these parts, especially at the Apple, but princesses were an exception, since they really lived up to fairest of them all title, if you know what I'm saying.

"_Hey, toot_z," Doris called in her gravelly man-voice, "Get your ass over here! You've got a customer!" She beckoned him over from her stance as bartender, and Mabel snorted a laugh as she waited on a few tables by the window, taking a look at who it was.

Dean sighed, and put on his game face, sauntering up to a, shall we say, regular, customer, that he didn't particularly like, but hey- he didn't call the shots.

"Hey, Robin," he smirked, "How goes it?" The short, athletic man in front of him smiled, twisting a finger around Dean's jaw line. "Only you can get away with calling me that," he drawled, "To everyone else, it's Mr. Hood."

Dean nodded, and held his arm out to the back room. "Right. Shall we?"

* * *

Castiel went down to the banquet hall for dinner, where the King and Queen were already seated. "Castiel," his mother frowned, "You look tired. Is everything alright?" Cas looked up, and smiled. "Yes. Of course, everything is fine."

"Bet you're excited for this weekend!" Zachariah commented enthusiastically, grinning at him as he shoveled a forkful of roast beef into his mouth, rather distastefully. Castiel frowned, gingerly picking up his own fork in contrast. "What's this weekend?" "Well, your ceremony of course! When you choose who to marry!"

Castiel squeezed his eyes shut. "Not this again." "Castiel, you have to get married by your 21st birthday! That's only a couple of weeks away, remember!" "Why? Is it written in some, royalty rule book that I must be in wedlock?" To be honest, he really didn't want to get married at all.

"It's inevitable, Castiel. Besides- you know your… problem, is less than desirable. You want to marry before anyone can discover it."

Castiel looked down. This 'problem' Zachariah was referring to was the enchantment spell a wicked witch, Rowena, had put on him when he was unborn to spite Zachariah when he did not return her love for him- - so she swore something would happen to the kingdom's future heir when the sun went down every night.

When it would get dark out, Castiel would grow soft white, translucent wings. In attempt to comfort him, Queen Naomi had told Cas when he was a boy that they were the wings of an angel, that sparkled like diamonds, but in vain, for Castiel was still ashamed of them.

He was by no means a supernatural being- he was every part human, except only… under a witch's curse, that could not be broken.

Zachariah and Naomi forbade Castiel to leave the castle at night for this reason, for they feared that the people of Far Far Away would lose faith in their Prince if they saw his 'flaws.'

Needless to say, the only way Cas could see the kingdom at night was from through his window.

Zach continued to speak, bringing Castiel back to the present. "Your brother, King Balthazar, sent word he would attend the ceremonies," he smiled, "See, he's got a wonderful life. Why can't you be more like him?" Castiel stayed quiet.

Balthazar was six years older than him, and he had married a princess named Rachel to become King of Hamelin. They really were in love, though- and often times, Castiel envied how easy his brother's life had just fallen into place.

"Now- what about that nice... oh, what was her name...? Princess Anna Milton, from the Kingdom of Wingsdale?" Cas shrugged, staring down at his plate. "She was... nice, but painfully shy." "Fine, what about Meg Masters, of Dragonguild?" Cas grimaced. "She scares me."

King Zach rolled his eyes. "Well, you have to choose _someone_!" "I don't _have_ to do anyth-" "You listen to ME boy! You are the heir to a throne that you WILL carry on as my successor. We're getting old, and can't rule this kingdom forever! Therefore, you will find a suitable partner before you turn twenty-one, so you can take our places! And I don't appreciate your tone with me. Am I clear?"

Cas sighed, and nodded, picking at his food. Queen Naomi couldn't help but feel slightly partial to her son's side of things, but she knew Cas would see soon that his father was only doing what was best for him.

* * *

The pale moonlight shone through the small window up above as the springs of the threadbare mattress jolted and creaked underneath Dean and his current client.

Dean was pushed back against it, huffing and puffing as he worked to finish.

He exhaled, long and shallow as he got up from the worn mattress. The muscles in his back gleamed with a thin sheen of sweat in the cascade of dim lighting. "You're the best," Robin Hood told him, grinning, and Dean gave a short nod, running a hand through his damp hair.

"That'll be 200." Robin whistled. "Expensive. Did you raise your prices since last time?" Dean turned, flashing a charming grin. "What can I say? I'm in demand."

Robin chuckled, and counted out a sack of 200 gold pieces, leaving the room with one last glance over of him. Dean re-counted the bag, and grinned to himself. _This is what makes the job worth it,_ he nodded, feeling the weight of the gold in his hand. Then he had to finish the job before going back out, since Robin Hood wasn't particularly _skilled_ in that area.

Once he rejoined everyone in the tavern again, he was ready for his next customer with a quick sigh. "Blackbeard? Right this way, mon Capitain!"

* * *

Castiel lay awake that night, staring at his ceiling. It was covered in a beautifully pastel color-painted mural of past events in his family's history, events that led up to where they were now. His eyes ran over the great battles, the love stories and proposals...

He closed his eyes, tossing and turning in under the sheets. He dreaded getting married. He wasn't ready- and he hadn't seen enough of life yet to be weighed down by the responsibility of running the kingdom just yet.

He wondered about his possibilities…

His eyes drifted over to his dark cloak in his closet, the one he had received as a gift from travelling royalty for his sixteenth birthday. He studied it.

Tomorrow was a full moon... maybe if he was lucky, and set out before sundown, he could acquire a potion to mask the enchantment for a while, and he could find Red to show him the way to a good tavern, if she could take the time away from her perpetual wolf hunt.

Maybe he could at least attempt a real adventure before his life was over.


	2. Slipping Out

The sun shone brightly as the swallows chirped in the trees. Far Far Away was known for its good weather, and today seemed to be a reflection of this, so Cas decided it was a good day to initiate his plan.

He walked down the grand staircase, where King Zach was waiting. "Castiel, I want you to get fitted for your suit today."

Cas tried to contain his groan. "I was actually on my way to…" He faltered as Zach descended upon him a look that basically bashed everything he was about to say.

"Yes, father," Cas mumbled compliantly, knowing full well that was the only acceptable answer at present.

Zachariah seemed pleased enough with this. "Good. Come with me."

Castiel followed his father down to the front of palace, where they went out into the village to a royal clothing shop, that used only the best material. He was measured and fitted by the three little fairies who worked there.

"Well! You look very dapper, son," Zachariah said, admiring how Cas looked in the form fitting white suit.

Flora, the little fairy dressed in red, flew over, tightening his cuffs. Fauna, the fairy in green, smoothed out his lapels, and Merryweather, the one dressed in blue, adjusted his bow tie. Cas merely looked at himself in the full length mirror.

"You are right, your majesty," Gepetto, the owner of the store, said meekly, "He looks… fit for a ball!"

Zachariah smiled at this. "What do you think, Castiel?" Cas turned to the side, inspecting himself with no overtly obvious excitement. "It looks alright."

"Just alright, Darling?!" Fauna asked, and Merryweather set her hands on her hips with a frown. "This is our finest work!" Cas put his hands up. "I'm sorry, I meant no disrespect..." "Oh, now, of _course_ you didn't, Deary," Flora, who seemed to be the nicest of the three, said, "It must take some getting used to, the idea of becoming King!"

_You have no idea,_ Cas thought.

But he simply nodded politely, thanking them. "We'll take it," Zach announced, and gave Gepetto however many gold pieces it cost (and it cost a great many).

It was almost evening when they returned to the castle, and Castiel was beginning to get antsy. He was going to do it- he would meet Red tonight, and drink regular wine with regular people. Just the thought of it excited him.

Anticipating the unknown... that was the hard part.

* * *

Dean took a drink from a mug of... something. Whatever it was, it was strong alcohol, therefore, he liked it.

The brothel was slow, most of his usual customers absent today. That being said, it was only early evening, and the interesting ones always came in at night.

Dean took a deep breath, looking down into his dark, murky drink. He figured in his head how much he made in gold this week.

He was getting by. He was good at his job, and frankly, more than getting by because of that, but not enough to call himself significantly rich. He swished the liquid around a little, before downing the rest.

"Worn out, sweetie?" Mabel's unmistakably high, sickeningly sweet-as-sugar voice came out behind him, a false sense of genuine interest in her voice.

Dean turned, feigning a smile. "Me? Nah! I never get tired," he said, though he fought a yawn coming on. He worked mostly at night, and when he had mornings off, well... he hardly ever slept. He just couldn't bring himself to...

"Well, good, cause we're starting to get busy now." Just then, they both heard a deep voice, calling for service. "Later!" the ugly stepsister said. Dean gave her a two finger salute, and turned fully around, rubbing his hands together.

Back to work.

* * *

Castiel made sure the hallway was clear. Of course, there was always the guards he had to get by as well, but he would cross that bridge when he came to it.

He pulled his cloak tight to himself, the navy blue, almost black as night, material concealing him well.

This was dangerous- he could get in a lot of trouble for this. But he didn't care- his father had no clue what he wanted, and if he did, he certainly didn't care.

To hell with proposals, and suitors, and rings, and weddings, and perfect brothers, and royal expectations. He would forget all that tonight.

He made his way down, slipping quietly past the guards, and went to the stable where he saddled and mounted his white horse, Honey.

They set out at a nice pace toward the Factory, where he could look for a potion.

He saw the large building, the three big chimneys spouting puffs of multi-colored smoke out. He made it just as the sun was over the hill, so he hurried in.

"Excuse me?" he asked the bearded pixie with spectacles at the desk. "Yes?" he said, rising above him. He sparkled with pixie dust, but it looked as if his weight were fighting to defy his flight abilities.

"Um, are you Mr. Singer? I'm looking for a potion." The pixie nodded, and beckoned with one hand. "Follow me, boy." Castiel was glad he hadn't recognized him as royalty- this cloak proved useful.

"Here's the selection we got," the pixie informed him, opening up doors to a huge room filled to the sky high ceiling with colored potions. "I'll leave you to find the right one- just don't break nothin'."

Cas nodded, in awe of the sight around him. There were bottles tall and thin, short and wide, blue, pink, yellow, green, even rainbow. He used the impossibly tall ladder and unstable looking to climb and go over them, and eventually, he came to a tiny blue vile, shimmering with silver.

This must be it, he thought. He inspected the label. '_Happily Ever After,_' the title read, '_Turning your physical flaws into desirable perfection to create a happy ending for everyone_.'

Cas smiled. It was perfect! He took it down, and went out.

Mr. Singer calculated the price, and suddenly squinted at Cas. "Don't I know you from some place? You been in here before?" Castiel felt a stab of panic. "Um, no. I suppose I just have a common looking face." The pixie just shrugged, and turned back to his business.

Cas exhaled, and bought the potion from the pixie, leaving the factory as swiftly as possible. As he rode back toward the west side of the kingdom, he opened the nozzle just in time- and with a deep breath, he drank some down.

For a moment, nothing happened, and he began to question its effectiveness. Then, he began to feel tingly, and went through a slight dizzy spell. He had to hold Honey's neck for support…

After a second to recover, he checked everything. The sun was down… it was dark out now… and his back… he had no wings!

Castiel felt like jumping for joy- the potion had worked, and he felt like a normal man. For once, he felt… handsome. And it looked like he still had enough potion to last two more nights, at least.

Honey and Cas made their way into the Deep Dark Woods, where he could usually find his friend, Jo Harvelle, otherwise known as Red Riding Hood to everyone else.

They had been acquainted when his father had hired her to track down a notorious villain, since she was Far Far Away's best hunter. She was his source of newsworthy information from outside the kingdom and tales of things he never thought he could see himself.

"Red?" Castiel hissed softly. "Red, are you there?" Just as he was looking through the trees, a sharp arrow flew whistling by, mere centimeters from his nose.

His eyes widened, and he abruptly stopped the horse with a little noise of fear.

"Ha!" Someone laughed from the shadows, "Just wanted to make sure it was you and not that damn sonofabitch wolf. Pain in my ass, that thing."

Castiel got off his horse. "Hello, Red." "Evening, your Highness," the girl with the long blonde said, grinning as she bowed, her red cape swirling behind her tight red mini-dress.

Cas rolled his eyes. "Stop it." She grinned. "What're you doing out this late? In disguise, no less?" Castiel looked around, as if someone could possibly be eavesdropping, and whispered, "Do you know any good taverns around here?"

Red snorted. "Taverns? Am I hearing right?" "Yes. I'm getting married off in a few weeks, and I want an adventure before that." Red shrugged. "Well, if you want an _'adventure'_... you'll want to check out the Poison Apple," she smirked, pointing northwest.

"The Poison Apple..." Castiel repeated. "Yep. Slimiest, scariest place you'll ever be." Castiel nodded slowly. "I'll go there, then."

Red chuckled. "Uh… I was half joking, you know. No place for royalty, that's for sure. But, if you really want to, your funeral. Just make sure you hold your cover. Have fun, Prince-y," she smiled, and Cas thanked her.

He got back on his horse, following where she had pointed. As the path went on, the woods began to get darker and darker, dead leaves crunching under Honey's hooves as they followed.

Castiel bit his lip. Maybe he hadn't thought this through... maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. But he pushed on, determined to find this place, no matter how foreboding and evil it sounded. The scarier it was, the more exciting and new it would feel, he supposed.

He eventually came to a clearing, much to his relief, where a loud-sounding tavern was. A sign hung above the door, 'The Poison Apple.' This must be it, Cas thought.

Just then, a crack of thunder went off above him, and it started to pour rain. He quickly tied Honey up by the door, and put the hood to his cloak up, walking in.


	3. The Poison Apple

Dean wandered around, dressed in his usual knee high boots, drawstring pants, and loose white button up. His hair was ruffled, and he left it that way because it was just part of his natural allure.

He scanned the room, stopping to lay eyes on Maleficent. He smiled suggestively at her. She was pretty hot, at least- maybe she'd want some company tonight.

Just as he was about to saunter over and ask, someone walked through the door. It was a man in a cloak, and he didn't take it off when he got in, he actually pulled it tighter, which intrigued Dean.

He sat down over by the corner, and his head tilted up a little bit, seemingly scanning the place with a newcomer's unease. New villain, maybe.

The man suddenly looked up fully, removing his hood to reveal his face. Dean's breath caught…then he blushed.

Wait- what? He shook it off. Dean didn't _blush_\- he hadn't even blushed when Goldilocks had begged him to go down on her! But this guy was… frustratingly perfect-looking…

* * *

Cas looked across the tables at the wooden board hanging, lopsided, at the front of the tavern behind the bar. He squinted to make out the carvings of the different drinks they offered, since he had never really had strong alcohol before, only at proper dinners and such. He settled on something that sounded really exciting.

A man with a short brown beard and a flat, black cap came around. "Evenin,' brotha. Whatever can I get you?" He had a southern, Louisianan accent. Cas cleared his throat. "Um... a... _Magic Mirror_ sounds good," he said, in a gruff voice so the man would think he was a villain too.

The server raised his eyebrows, and gave a low whistle. "That one sure packs a load of a punch. You must be used to drinking." With that, he swiftly went off to fill the order.

* * *

Dean watched the man order a drink, and when it came, he watched him bring it to his lips, the look of pure surprise on his face priceless as he gulped the hard liquor down too fast.

Dean went over, making sure to flex his muscles a little, just in case the guy liked that kind of thing. He couldn't have been any older than Dean...

He approached the table, smirking.

"Hey there. Having a rough night?" He asked, nodding toward the quickly emptied mug. The man shook his head slowly, and Dean pressed further. "Do you... want to have a rough night?"

"What do you mean?" The stranger asked, giving the most endearing squint and tilting his head a little. Dean chuckled a little, and sat on the edge of the table. "You know... go to the back, have some sex...?"

The guy went beet red immediately, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh... I d-don't know." Dean stared at his deep blue eyes, fluttering nervously, his dark, ruffled hair a bit of a mess from the weather.

He didn't know who he was, but he looked rich at least, judging by the fine silk material his cloak was made out of, and his form fitting brown vest over shirt. Dean knew if he could get this one guy, he could meet his nightly quota. Guess he got lucky tonight.

"Come on," Dean said, seductively moving closer and trailing a finger down the guy's sculpted chest, "You'll have the time of your life... _trust me_."

The young man looked hesitant.

* * *

Castiel was nervous. This prostitute was very attractive, but he had never... well...

Dean seemed to pick up on this. "Don't tell me you've never done the deed," the guy with sandy brown hair and light freckles said. Cas fidgeted. "I have never had the occasion."

Dean couldn't help but wonder how that was possible for a pretty boy like this.

"Well, I've an idea," he said in a low voice, looking around for effect, then leaning in, "How's about we go and give it a try? It's lots of fun. My name's Dean, by the way," he said, licking his lips in a way that made Castiel uncomfortable.

Cas introduced himself. "I'm C-" he caught himself before he revealed his identity as Prince, "Um... my name is... Emmanuel." Dean stared at him curiously through the most beautiful green eyes Castiel had ever seen, then nodded.

"Follow me, Emmanuel," he said, "I'll start slow, maybe suck you off first... then I'll let you do whatever you want with me, okay? That sound good?" Cas' mouth was dry, heat rushing to his cheeks at what Dean was saying. It was all very blunt, and Cas wasn't used to those kinds of words.

But he found himself nodding, getting up to follow Dean. His stomach churned, and he felt a sick, burning feeling in the pit of it. The recurring thought came to him again- maybe this wasn't such a good idea...

Dean led him into the back room, not before Doris could give an appreciative cluck of her tongue as she eyed Cas, and Dean locked the door.

"How do you want me, Emmanuel?" Dean asked, in a husky voice that made Cas interestingly tingly. He swallowed.

Castiel didn't answer, he just _couldn't,_ since he was too preoccupied with his feelings, so Dean just went up to him, grabbing him by his collar and yanked him close into a spectacular open-mouthed kiss.

Cas moaned into Dean's mouth, and he felt himself hardening in his pants. Yes, he had touched himself before, to experiment with sexuality, but that was more routine than this... this was everything put together- the sweet smell of Dean, the adrenaline coursing through his body, going right down to his cock... it was sensually overwhelming.

With a wicked grin, Dean knelt down in front of Cas, pulling on the strings of his pants and letting them pool around his ankles.

Dean stopped short. Man... this guy was huge! He wasn't used to such nicely endowed people around here... it would be a good change.

He reached forward, and gripped Castiel's manhood tightly, tugging it a little to get the blood flowing down there.

He brought his hands up to squeeze Cas' balls, clutching them momentarily before going back to his dick. Castiel's hesitant hands drifted down on impulse, not before pausing above Dean's head, then he laced his fingers through Dean's short locks, tugging gently in urgency.

As Dean worked, he felt himself get harder than he'd willingly been in a really long time. This guy... was doing something to him.

Dean brought his lips down around Castiel's cock, and closed them, sucking gently on him. Cas' eyes slid shut, and he had to brace himself against the hard stone wall so that his knees wouldn't give out. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before.

Dean bobbed his head up and down as his tongue traced the curves and length of him, his cheeks hollowing as he sucked particularly hard, and Cas once again buried his hands in Dean's hair. "Oh..." he whispered. Dean felt his pants tighten even more, almost painfully, and knew he had to hurry it up and get this guy off before he started palming his bulge or he came himself.

Dean hummed around it, deep-throating Cas as far as he could go, even choking a little on it. He swallowed him down. "D-Dean," Cas mumbled, "Dean... Dean! D-DEAN!" Cas came with a cry in Dean's mouth, and the young man on the floor swallowed it all.

After a moment of breathless panting, Cas spoke. "You are... immensely good at that..." Dean grinned, licking his shiny, cum-slicked lips. "I'm a natural at sucking cock. I've been told it's just my full, thick lips," he said playfully, and Cas groaned involuntarily.

He stood Dean up. "I want to be able to give you the same pleasure," he said in a rough, gravelly voice, and Dean had to keep himself from moaning as well in abandon, from losing his cool, professional attitude.

"Whatever you want," he nodded. Cas laid Dean down on the old mattress, and turned him around, positioning himself at Dean's entrance.

_What?_ Dean thought, _Wow, he's really going for it. I'd have pegged him for the submissive type, but hey- who am I to judge?_

Since he was sure the guy had no idea what to do, due to the awkward pause, Dean put two of Cas' fingers into his mouth, sucking gently on them to get them wet. When they were good and coated, he guided them to his ass, where Cas slowly inserted them in.

"Oh," Cas mumbled, and Dean shoved his ass back against him, arching his back so Cas could have a full view and easy access.

"Oh..." Cas breathed, reeling from the sight of Dean's hot body, and gave an experimental crook of his fingers, aroused beyond belief by the reaction that got. Dean moaned loudly. "Jesus, holy mother-" he whispered, trying to get a grip. "Am I hurting you?"

Dean let out a pained chuckle. "Trust me, pal- this is far from what I call pain."

Cas decided it was time to go in, and when he entered him, it was like nothing Dean had ever felt before. It was as if they were actually _together_ together, sharing their bodies- Dean forgot for a moment that he turned tricks for a living, and that this was nothing but another job.

"Oh, god," Dean grunted, and Cas was starting to throb inside of the tight hole. "I'm not going to last much longer," Cas said, "Ah! I'm sorry…" "Not a problem," Dean gasped, attempting a wry grin. He was definitely more courteous to give warning than the others, that's for sure.

He suddenly hit Dean's prostate, and Dean cried out a little, his vision blurring. He was loving every minute of it, but fought to remember his role as power bottom, working himself back on Cas.

When Cas finally did come, Dean could feel it, hot and sticky inside of him, and he came too, hard. "Fffff-" he groaned, his toes curling, and Cas slumped against his sweaty, naked back as Dean breathed out.

"That was...amazing," Cas breathed, "I... I can't believe I've just done that." His head was whirling. Dean wanted to smile, wanted to kiss him more, wanted to do something more with him... but now that they were no longer doing it, the reality hit him-

Just a job, Winchester.

"Yeah... glad you had fun," Dean muttered, giving a faint smirk. Cas looked up at him, his hair obviously in the just-been-fucked style, and Dean pulled his pants back on. "That'll be..."

He paused, and thought for a second to himself. If this guy was super rich, which he looked like he was, he could milk it for all it's worth. "400," he said, grinning to himself. The guy wouldn't know the difference, and he would get double what he usually charged. Cha-ching.

Cas thought nothing of it as he found his pants again, reaching into his pocket to get out his satchel of gold pieces. He sorted through it, then decidedly handed the whole sack over. "Thank you, Dean... for really making this special for me."

Dean's heart skipped a beat, and he almost felt guilty as he took it, but he just smiled. "Well, that's what I'm here for." Cas smiled, and got his clothes back on, nodding to him. "I hope to see you again," he said softly, glancing back, and Dean gave the usual coy wink.

When he was gone, Dean sat down on the mattress, feeling really, really... good. He had never been satisfied like that before... that guy was magical. He couldn't help feeling a little empty without him there anymore...

Dean scowled. _You've never gotten sentimental with a client before, don't start now. _

He thought for a while on that mattress, idly counting his gold like it didn't really matter.

* * *

Castiel got onto his white horse, putting the hood to his cloak back up. The rain had ceased, leaving the full moon out to shine brilliantly and cast a spooky sort-of glow over the woods.

That surely was an adventure- one that he would like to have again the next night.

Dean... Dean... the name was swirling around in his head. Yes, he was just a prostitute at a brothel full of dingy villains, but... he made Cas feel something. Like he wanted to stay for a long, long time.

The feeling stuck, and he thought deeply to himself as he galloped back to the palace.


	4. More For More

"So, who was tall dark and handsome last night?" Doris asked, raising a painted-on eyebrow and wiping up the counter as the sun shone through the windows.

Dean cleared his throat, irritability pricking him up. Why did everyone have to keep bringing him up? "Uh... he said his name was Emmanuel...or something, I don't know," Dean tried nonchalantly.

"Uh huh," the ugly stepsister snickered, looking skeptical, "I'm sure you don't remember his name, after the way ya looked at him!"

Dean tried his hardest not to blush, scowling back at them. "Shut up! No way! He was just another customer. A volcano in bed, mind you, but still, just a customer."

Mabel came around. "Was it just me, or did he look awful familiar? Like I seen him some place!" Doris nodded. "You know, he did... I just can't place it, though..."

* * *

Back at the castle, Castiel was getting ready to go out into town.

"Uhh, m'lord Highness?" A voice said from behind him. He turned. "Yes, Thelonius?" Castiel asked the guard/royal executioner. "Uhhh, his Royal Highness the King would like to speak to you, m'lord, sir." Cas frowned, but nodded.

When he found Zachariah, the King looked rather suspicious. "Sit, Castiel," he said, so Cas did.

"Where did you go last night?" Cas paled.

"I don't know what you're talking about." "Don't play dumb with me, boy! The guards informed me of your departure, late last night!"

Cas cringed. He had to think fast.

"I was helping Red Riding Hood with something," he said. There. At least some of it was true.

Zachariah narrowed his eyes at him. "Are you telling the truth?" Cas nodded. "Hmm... I won't tell you mother about this. I _trust_ you," he said, emphasizing the word _trust_ as if challenging Cas to defy it, "But if you give me reason not to, I will tell. And you don't want that."

Cas shook his head. "Good. You may go." So he got up and left.

That night, he knew he had to be even more covert if he was to pull this off. He went out the back way, and decided to take the walk on foot instead of risking being spotted by the stables. So he set off into the woods toward The Poison Apple, taking another drink from the potion to once again conceal his secret.

Up from the highest tower in the castle, Zachariah settled his lips in a thin, firm line as he watched Castiel go. "Follow him," he told Thelonius, who answered with a swift, "Yes, m'lord."

* * *

Dean wiped his hands with a towel. He had just gotten through with the Headless Horseman, which had been... an experience. But hey- he was 200 gold richer, so he wasn't complaining.

Just then, he turned, and saw a flash of a cloak. A cloak he recognized. The man ordered a drink, this time drinking it down with more caution than last night.

"Emmanuel," Dean said, as confidently as he could muster, "Come back for more?" he asked, flashing a winning grin. Wasting no time in contrast with last night, Cas nodded. "Actually, yes," his previous night's lover replied. Dean felt himself stir, and bit his lip. "Well. Lead the way." Cas smiled, and they went to the back room.

"Dean," Cas mumbled, wasting no time in unbuttoning the young man's shirt. The Prince was overwhelmed with charging feelings, hormones, emotions...

"Emmanuel..." Dean couldn't help but moan, grinding his hips up against Cas'.

Cas wished with all his heart he could tell Dean his real name, just to hear him utter it, but he knew he couldn't. He couldn't get discovered.

Cas stripped Dean down, and Dean slowly and skillfully worked Cas' clothes off too, managing to make him shudder through it all. "You're so good at this, Dean," Cas mumbled. Dean grinned. "Well, yeah. I'd be a pretty terrible call boy if I wasn't." Cas grinned back.

He felt like he didn't have to be Prince Castiel when he was here, with Dean. He could just relax, and enjoy himself without having to worry about anything. Cas mimicked what Dean had done the night before, and licked his fingers, slipping them into him.

"Oh, man," Dean groaned. "Dean," Cas murmured, leaning his head back as he then replaced his fingers with his cock, and thrust in. He thrust in steady intervals, as Dean writhed beneath him. The pleasure was sparking all the way down to his fingertips, where they were gripping Cas' forearms.

He was turned on, and so horny for Cas, and after mere minutes, Dean was coming all over himself with Cas once again coming inside of him.

There was silence as they lay together on the mattress. Normally, Dean would be up by now, collecting his money and turning over for the next guest, but...

It was weird. This, _Emmanuel_, was magnetic. And gorgeous.

"Hey," Dean mumbled, feeling a sudden rush of guilt and humanity, "last night... I charged you way more than I should have. I... I'm sorry. That was a lousy thing to do." Cas looked at him for a moment.

"It's alright... I really don't care," the brunette said, raising his eyebrows thoughtfully. "I come from somewhere... where money, riches, wealth... it's all taken for granted. I have so many ridiculous responsibilities...it's overwhelming."

Dean stared at him, pondering how mysterious this guy was. "Well…why don't you just... leave it, then? I'm sure people can deal with themselves without you around, right?"

Cas chuckled at this. "That's not necessarily the case. In fact, quite the opposite." Dean was confused by this, but Cas changed the focus. "What about you- do you have something that you just hate about your life?" Dean huffed. "Where do I start?" But he knew Cas meant it genuinely.

Dean froze. Yes. Yes, he did. But it was too painful. Way too painful to tell anyone.

"Nah, I'm a free wheeler. I'm livin' the dream, getting laid left, right and center. Got no mileage on my worry OD," he grinned, although he really wanted to tell him the truth. He needed to tell someone.

About his childhood, how he got here... But he didn't. He couldn't.

"Oh. You're very lucky. I guess you wouldn't have anything to worry about- not acceptance wise, that is. You're beautiful," he mumbled, shyly looking away. Dean's heart lurched at this, and Cas looked back at him through those affectionate blue eyes.

"Goodnight, Dean," he said, a little more somberly this time, but still smiling as he handed the gold over. Dean put his hand up. "No- no, keep it. You paid me twice last night," Dean said, looking down. "Dean- I insist." Dean stared for a long time, then reluctantly took the money, and Castiel bid him good night. "Yeah...night," Dean replied softly.

He stared at the dirty floor. He thought of how his life used to be- his dad coming home, him and his brother- _oh, little Sammy_\- happy to see him. Their mom hugging him, all of them setting the table in their quaint little cottage in the woods.

Then one day, their dad was recruited to fight in the battle of Duloc, and he never came home. After that, what happened to his family...

He squeezed his eyes shut, palming his fists over his eyes to rub them. His breath came out in short, shallow puffs, and he felt lightheaded. He had to calm down- now was not the time for a panic attack. Stop thinking about them... stop.

His breath evened out.

This was so stupid. He was an emotional wreck around Emmanuel. He hadn't thought about his family for ages, and now, this guy was bringing back memories of what it was like to live normally.

Whatever happened to Mr. Promiscuous? Dean was losing himself over some rich guy with a stack of problems himself- not what he needed. But he wished he would come back... he just couldn't explain the effect.

* * *

Castiel went back home, feeling comfortably satisfied, and happy with his secretive nightly excursions. He walked in through the secret door he'd been using, and went in, checking behind him. Nobody there. He exhaled, adrenaline and paranoia coursing through his veins.

Just as he turned, he jumped, startled to find his mother and father waiting there, pointed looks on their faces. As a result of the scare, he dropped the bottle of Happily Ever After he had been concealing, letting it smash to the ground with little wisps of blue magic weaving free.

"Hello, Castiel," Zachariah said, grinding his teeth into a smile as if doing everything to maintain civility.


	5. Prince Castiel

Cas just stared. Then he saw Thelonius standing to the right- and it dawned on him. He could do nothing to dodge this one.

"Good evening, Father... Mother." "Yes, I'm sure it was a good evening," Naomi said in a dead tone, "Thelonius told us everything."

Cas looked to the guard. "Sorry, m'lord," the guard said apologetically, "Orders were to follow you and report back." Castiel exhaled, nodding faintly and feeling like he wanted to pass out.

"The Poison Apple, Castiel?!" Queen Naomi asked incredulously, "You're lucky you weren't stabbed there!" "Or eaten alive," Zachariah added. "Yes! Because you very well could have been!"

"Mother, they're not all bad," Castiel insisted, images of Dean flashing into his head, those freckles, his short, spiky hair, that teasing smirk-

"If you're referring to that prostitute you... _had relations_ with," Zachariah said impatiently, an angry vein throbbing on his forehead, "That just proves how naive you really are."

Well. Thelonius must have been very thorough with his report.

Naomi scoffed in disgust. "Congregating with villains! I never thought the day would come!"

"Dean is _**not**_ a villain!" Cas shouted angrily, and Zachariah narrowed his eyes. "You're defending the _prostitute_? _Dean?!_ How do you know that's even his real name?" he scoffed, and shook his head angrily, "Do you realize what you've done? You could have exposed your secret, if you didn't find some god-knows-what way to hide it!" he shouted, gesturing to the broken bottle of shimmering liquid, "Who would want you then, hm boy?!" Castiel's cheeks burned.

"You have disobeyed my direct wishes, you went to a _brothel_, where you would have been strung up and hung if they found out you were a Prince, and you let yourself get SPOILED by a... a... a _lowlife_ call boy!"

Castiel felt his face heat up, from embarrassment, but also from flaming anger. How dare he talk about Dean that way, when he hadn't even met him- he had no idea how he made Cas feel!

"You are a disgrace to this family, Castiel," Zachariah said in a low voice, "And this is the last time you go against me. I'll make sure of it. You need to learn some discipline, if you're going to grow up and govern this kingdom." He exhaled through the small hole he had transformed his mouth into.

"You're going to stay in a dragon-guarded tower until we feel you are fit to marry another member of your social class, and when you're mature enough to moderate your actions!"

Cas felt all the blood leave his face. "What?" "You heard me. You'll be gone by morning." "_You can't do this_-" "It's for the best, Castiel," Naomi said, staring at him coldly, "For your own good." Zach looked back. "At least your wish came true, Castiel- you won't be getting married on your birthday."

Castiel stood, dumbfounded, until he was escorted to a golden chariot. He was taken through the Enchanted Woods, past Pinocchio River, over bridges guarded by trolls, through more woods, past swampland- all the places he dreamed of visiting, though not like this- and all the way up the rocky hill to the rickety bridge over lava.

He was locked in the tower, far away from anything he had ever known, scared and desperate. He wouldn't get out of here- there was a huge dragon guarding it, and nobody could survive that.

Cas sat on the crisp white bed, crying. He just wanted a life... now he had lost everything.

* * *

The next day, around noon, Dean and the ugly stepsisters were getting the Apple cleaned up from the night before as the place had a light lull of the usual chatter.

Suddenly, they overheard a couple of the Evil Trees discussing the news scroll they were reading.

"A real tragedy," one was laughing cruelly, "I'm weeping through my branches!" "Ha! Bastard deserves it- death to royalty, s'what I say!" Another said, pounding the table.

Then they got up, tossing the discarded scroll behind them onto the table. Doris went over, shaking her head and muttering about leaving their mess behind.

"Hey..." she frowned, scratching the wart on her chin, "Look at this!"

"Well, lookie at that!" Mabel gasped, looking at it, "That's why that _'Emmanuel'_ guy looked so familiar!" Dean snapped his head up, grabbing the paper for a look himself. He rolled it out, and his heart beat wildly.

"What the...?" he muttered.

Underneath a few minor stories, like the three pigs starting their own local restaurant, and the citizens of the Enchanted Swamp protesting for better health care coverage, the headline read, "Breaking News! Prince Castiel of Kingdom Far Far Away imprisoned in tower after scandal!"

Dean's eyes widened. Prince _Castiel_? PRINCE Castiel?

"Shit," Dean muttered, sitting back in a booth, "Son of a bitch! He was a goddamn _prince_. Great. That's just friggin' peachy."

"He comes back in here, I'll rip his lungs out," Cyclops said, gripping a cup he was drying tight enough to crack it. "Not before I pull all his teeth!" Mabel growled. "Princes aren't welcome here," Benny drawled, his sharp vamp incisors becoming visible.

Dean sighed. How could he not have figured it out by now? _Emmanuel_? Really? And besides all that, why the hell was the _Prince_ of Far Far Away coming to the Poison Apple?

He guessed it all made sense now. The responsibilities he had talked about, this guy's problems... Now he was locked away in a tower, no doubt for coming here and...

Dean rubbed a clammy hand over his eyes.

"If we had half a mind, we would throw you out," Doris said, suddenly turning and glaring at Dean. "Why?! I didn't know he was a damn Prince!" "Yeah... yeah, I guess that's why we're keepin' you. That, and you've been here too long, and this is all you have. You're good for business, too... just don't say we never did nothing for you!"

Dean stared at the paper, at the secretively and unprofessionally taken picture of Castiel being put into a golden chariot.

"What's the matter? Missing your little boyfriend?" Mabel taunted. "No!" Dean scowled, "I don't get attached to clients, you know that! Plus, I couldn't care less what happens to this prick! He deserves what he gets, anyway." He slapped the scroll down.

This seemed to get the stepsisters off his back, but those words felt so wrong and hurtful coming out. He couldn't imagine what Castiel must be feeling. Sad, scared, alone...

Wait. Maybe he _could_ imagine.

Castiel worked at the window. Then the door. The door wouldn't budge, not without a key. There wasn't anyone there but him, unless you count the enchanted, non-sentient stone knight that brought him his food and water twice a day, or the vicious guard of the tower, a necromancer dragon named Lucifer. Which he was far from desiring any interaction with.

"What have I done?" he asked himself, "maybe I _was_ just selfish...and blinded by juvenile ambition..."

He sighed. He missed Dean. He missed him sorely. But the chances of ever seeing him again were slim to nothing. It was ridiculous to even begin to hope.

He managed to get the window open, but evidently only for fresh air, since if he tried to escape that way, he would be impaled by a turret, or if he missed those, fall face first thousands of feet into the surrounding mote of bubbling lava. His options were not preferable.

All he could do now, was wait, and dream of someone who could rescue him from his towering prison.

* * *

That night, Dean brooded over a mug of ale. He let the foam bubble up, seeing it as a metaphor for his underlying feelings for the Prince. He pretended not to care- hell, he even tried to convince _himself_ that he didn't care. But he couldn't get the thought out of his mind.

Dean was beginning to realize how sad and pathetic his life really was, and Castiel was the only one that ever made Dean feel worth something in said pathetic life.

And now, it only made it worse that Cas was locked up in a tower somewhere, helpless and terrified. It ate away at him.

"Hey! HEY!" someone said sharply, snapping in front of his face and waking Dean from his thoughts. Dean sat up quickly, eyes wandering over to Robin Hood.

"Oh. Robin." "You are _late_ for our rendezvous!" he said in his clipped dialect. Dean nodded, trying to brighten up into his usual appeal. "Sorry 'bout that. Guess you'll... have to punish me, huh?"

Robin smiled, but for Dean, following him into the back room made him want to throw up. He had never felt this way before- like he really didn't want to do this- he had never been this reluctant.

"Right. On your hands and knees, then," the archer said, and in a haze, Dean did as he was told, simply envisioning the pay he would get out of this as the ultimate end goal- nothing else mattered.

When it was all over, Dean felt like he wanted to cry. He didn't know why- he just did. Robin tossed a sack of coins onto his chest, and Dean couldn't even muster a smile in his state of unexplainable nausea, laying like a deadweight on the mattress and staring up at the ceiling.

As Robin left, Dean heard his customer say to Doris by the bar, "Your boy is really losing his touch."

Dean closed his eyes, wondering what was wrong with him. Why did this suddenly all feel so wrong? He felt like he was suffocating, like he couldn't get out... he needed to get out. He couldn't do this. He had to get out…

He opened the small window, but big enough to get through, the night air rushing in. It was cold.

He could hear the dark, foreboding cackles and growls of whatever evil fairytale creatures hid out there in these woods. He could see the glowing red eyes, blinking and watching him through the gnarled branches of the trees. He was sure some of these things probably wanted to kill him or eat him, but he didn't care.

He had to get out.

With one last glance back, he hoisted himself up, putting his sizeable muscles to good use, and dropped down and out. He stumbled, and ran.


	6. Onward Ho

When Dean woke up, he was in the middle of the woods. Sun was shining irritatingly brightly through the branches above him, and he didn't really remember how he got there.

_Oh_... he thought. All the memories came flooding back. He had had a pretty severe panic attack last night, and left to get some air.

Wait… was it really just to get some air?

The more that Dean thought about it, the more of what he did seemed like running away. _Running away from what? _

Dean looked back in the direction of the brothel. Or what he thought was the direction of the brothel. He groaned as he sat up, his head aching. He thought for a moment. Why the hell was he here?

_Castiel._

The name brought back all those feelings, what he had felt last night, that made him question returning to the Poison Apple. He didn't want to go back. He wanted to help Cas.

He couldn't just leave him to die in a tower!

Hey, hey. Hold up. Why should he care, anyway? Castiel was just a guy who came in a couple times for a change of pace in his own life, and he got it. It wasn't Dean's fault he was locked up for it!

Plus, thinking back to where the news article said that tower was, he assumed it would take days of trekking across vast nothingness to get there. He nervously glanced back again, thinking of just how easy it would be to go back to his fairly safe life.

_It's not my problem. I'm not obligated to save his ass_, Dean thought bitterly.

But then… who was? Who _would_?

Dean stood there, in the middle of a forest, contemplating this predicament. _Dammit_, he thought, _I'm not actually going to try and rescue this guy, am I?_

…_Am I?!_

He took a deep breath, weighing things. He couldn't deny it- Cas had made him feel loved. Wanted. He had finally found that, when he never thought he would again. As much as he hated to admit it, Prince Castiel, the wronged royalty of Far Far Away, could be his one and only key to a happily ever after.

He might not come back; if he went on this thing, he could get eaten by a damn something-or-other along the way, or get caught in some ogre's torture trap…

Then he thought of something- if Prince Castiel was brave enough to risk everything for an adventure like those two blissful nights, Dean should be brave enough to go after what he knew he wanted too.

He put his hands on his hips, squinting into the sun, and after a second, kicked a patch of grass in a sudden rage of violence. "Son of a BITCH!" he called at the birds above him, who flew away in response.

Then he set off walking away from everything he had ever known… and if his conscience was a person, Dean would have murdered him in cold blood right then.

The young man on the quest decided first to stop through the village of Far Far Away to find a map. He really needed one of those.

_Woah. _

He was really out of his element here, he had to admit. Uppity people and creatures walked around him, not a villain in sight or dirty word to be heard. But he guessed that was a good thing, not running into anyone he knows. That would be... interesting, to say the least, if he did.

_Oookay_, Dean thought, nervously clucking his tongue as he looked around, _nearest store for a map... wheeere would that be...?_

"Hey there," Dean said to three mice with sunglasses on, "Do you know the way to the nearest shop that has travelling supplies?"

One of the mice pointed its cane north. "Oh yes, my lad, that way-" "No, _no_, it'sthat way, good fellow," the second one said, pointing south, but the third contradicted both by insisting, "No, it's _that _way, my boy!" while pointing west.

Dean realized his mistake. He had asked the Three Blind Mice for directions. "Right," he said, nodding, "Thanks for the, uh, pointers, you guys." "No problem!" "Any day." "You're so very welcome, sir!"

Dean sighed, and moved on, trying to find someone else who was less... visually impaired.

"Excuse me?" he asked another passer-by, flashing a charming smile for good measure at the young lady with the short black hair and pale, almost white skin, "Do you know where I can find a map of the kingdom?"

The girl, who happened to be Snow White, stopped. "Oh! Right that way," she smiled. Dean smiled quickly and politely back. "Thanks."

Just then, seven angry little men came marching up to them. "Are you trying to steal our housemate?" one asked, adjusting his spectacles. "Back off, grabby hands!" one gruff, grumpy looking one said, and Dean recognized that last one from the brothel.

"Uh, I wasn't…" "Get lost, princess lips!" they told him, and he watched them walk away. Dean frowned, touching his lips self-consciously. Snow White made a _call me_ motion as they left, and Dean winced.

"Right," he smiled back, "Thanks so much." _Gag me_, he thought. He followed where she had pointed to, and came to a shop that was full of trinkets and such.

"Howdy there!" A guy, who reminded him disturbingly of Robin Hood, said, bouncing out, "I'm Peter Pan! Looking for an adventure, friend?!" Dean chuckled. "To be honest, pal, one found me. You got any maps?"

"Oh, of course, yes, yes, yes. Right this way, if you please!" Dean followed him, looking around the shop made for collectors and travelers and people like that, and they stopped at a rack of scrolls. "Here ya go!" he said cheerily, and Dean thanked him, grabbing some snacks as well before handing over a few coins.

_Alright_, he thought, _onward to_... He placed a roughened finger on the map,_ the Enchanted Forest._ Great. That meant swamps- and ogres.

He sighed. If he saw one more bright smile or heard one more overly-cordial greeting uttered within a five-mile of him radius today, he would throw up. He followed the map, and got the hell out of dodge.

* * *

Cas sat in the tower. Night was descending upon the area, and he felt very lonely. He wished he had a cat or something, _anything _he could potentially talk to.

Dragon's Keep got very hot at night time, for there was no breeze in the dark hours to help expel the steam rising from the surrounding mote of molten lava.

Castiel positively hated Zachariah and Naomi for doing this to him- so what if he wanted to try something new? No harm had really come of it, in hindsight.

Frankly, a lot of good had come of it, actually: Dean.

Cas squeezed his eyes shut, but he absolutely refused to cry. He wouldn't let his parents get the satisfaction of wrenching tears out of him, even if they would never know. He wasn't ready to cry just yet.

He face planted in his pillow in frustration. Now he was locked in this stupid tower, for god knows how long, and he had never realized it before because he'd never been in the position to, but he was scared of heights this high up!

He stared in forlorn silence out the window of the circular room, feeling his wretched wings return after two nights of absence. He would never be saved. He could kiss his life goodbye.


	7. The Enchanted Swamp

Dean woke up at the mouth of a forest- or what looked like two forests, with a split path down the middle. He groaned.

Left was Pixie Hollow... right was the Swampland. He had heard talk from the brothel of Pixie Hollow, talk from seasoned villains that put all sorts of fears in his head over the years.

Pixies were downright scary things, who could use just a pinch of their dust to create an entire, lifelike mirage that would make you question your sanity, and you could get lost for years, decades even, if you took a wrong turn in that place.

The Swampland, on the other hand, sure, was rumored to have ogres and quicksand, but it was the fastest way to Dragon's Keep, where Dean assumed the tower was. _The faster the better. _

God. Enchanted or not, this place was proving to be a pain in the ass.

Speaking of which- Dean was feeling thoroughly strange- or thoroughly abnormally normal, depends on how you look at it. He hadn't fucked or been fucked in two days, which for him, or someone in his line of work, was definitely abnormal.

Not that he particularly missed it- yeah, sure, maybe he missed the freedom of walking around, flaunting himself to every possible person, and having fun playing on his naturally sexy charisma- it was true that he fit the job well…

But Cas, whether it be for better or for worse, evidently spoiled his outlook on his past career. Now, Dean, who had never had expensive taste, now wanted the Prince and _only_ the Prince, and that's why he was currently traipsing through some Magical Woodland Swamp without half a clue what he was doing.

But with a deep breath, determination (or sheer stubbornness, depending on how you look at it), and a give 'em hell attitude, he pushed on, entering the right path down into that branch of the Enchanted Forest.

He walked down the beaten path, if it could be called that, and ducked frequently out of the way of wayward vines and sloppy weeds hanging from the huge, willowy trees above. To the right of him, the marsh and swampland was visible, and the place stunk to holy hell.

_Damn,_ Dean thought, wrinkling his nose, _I bet Pixie Hollow smells better than this place... I bet it smells like cakes and golden nectar and Cas and yummy shit like that…_

He continued on, and after a few minutes of walking, looked down at the map. As he tried to follow his course through the various intricately labeled landmarks, he heard a *squish*, and looked down slowly.

"Son of a bitch!" he shouted to nobody, and recounted that as the third time he'd had to say it in the past 24 hours, which wasn't a good thing. He was ankle deep in... some gooey _something_, and it didn't look too good for him, because he was quickly sinking.

"Really?" he asked, spreading his arms and looking to the sky without knowing exactly who he was talking to, "You friggin' kidding me right now?! I barely start this quest, and I'm_ dying_ already?!"

He tried to find some vine around him that he could grab onto.

Anything.

Anything?

Then the panic slowly started to set in as he realized his previously shouted words might be true. "Uh," he said cautiously, "Help?" he asked, expecting there to be some woodland creature, a dwarf, a mouse, hell, an OGRE would do fine just about now as he slowly sunk to his sure, horrific death in the pit of surprise quicksand.

He was down to his knees now, and couldn't move his legs an inch. "Shit!" he called, and tried to wiggle around. He must have looked pretty stupid, flailing around, but he didn't care, since there was nobody in the near area to see or help him.

_Dean Winchester, you stupid son of a bitch_, he thought to himself, _you left the nice safety of your make-do home, and now you're knee deep -literally- in ooze that could have been avoided if you weren't such a cockslut for some snooty Prince!_

"Uh... uh!" he grunted, trying to lurch over to the nearest tree branch.

"_Wow_zers," came a voice behind him, and Dean jumped, (quite metaphorically), in shock. "Hello?!" he asked, sighing in relief, "Oh my god, yes- please help me!"

"You are knee deep in some pretty sticky stuff, aren't ya, pretty boy?" the voice asked. "Thaaat came out wrong… uh, so did that!"

Dean growled. "Who are you?! Help me out!"

"Yeah... okay. Might as well, haven't had a friend for... oh, three centuries or so." Dean frowned. Great. First encounter with a breathing being was some ancient creature that could probably smite him at any moment.

"Just help me out, dammit!"

He was up to his waist now, and he couldn't feel anything below that. "Fine, fine. But just so ya know, patience is a helpful virtue, buddy!" the voice said, and Dean muttered some obscenity under his breath.

Just then, he heard the sound of hooves- _hooves?!-_ beating against the ground, and the pool of quicksand was suddenly gone in a blink. He stumbled over onto the now conveniently dry ground.

Dean quickly got up and turned to see who, or what, was talking to him before, and what had miraculously saved him.

Standing there, was a brilliantly shiny golden stallion with white wings; and to Dean's dismay, he looked perpetually sassy. "Uh..." Dean said, and the horse laughed. "I know. You're speechless. I'm pretty awesome, right? You can't turn off the fab on this bucko, honeytoes!"

Dean frowned. "First of all... who are you? Second... how can you_ talk_? You're a _horse_." "I prefer the term _celestial being_, or Pegasus if that doesn't flow," he said, rolling his eyes. "Look, kiddo, I'm not just any old 'horse'- I'm an enchanted Pegasus. They call me Gabriel."

Dean nodded. "Right. Okay. Well. Thanks, _Gabriel_, for, uh, helping me out there. I'll just... be on my way, then."

Gabriel frowned, quickly trotting after him. "Wait- where you going? I thought we were friends!" Dean turned hesitantly. "Yeah, sure. Catch you on the flip side, goldilocks." "But... I just saved you! Friends help friends, then said friends stay with friends! Hey- I'm coming with you!"

Dean chuckled. "No, you're not." "Oh, _but_ I am." "Look, little fella- I appreciate your 'celestial' help and all that- but I'm on a dangerous mission to Dragon's Keep to save a helpless Prince shacked up there against his will, so unless you feel like having your wings roasted and flambéed-"

"Uhhh, speaking of roasted, bud, need I remind you who it was who just got his ass saved by _me_, this 'little fella' over here? Would you like me to toss you back in? 'Cause I will! And if you're going to a place like Dragon's Keep, you're _really _gonna need my mojo. Trust le moi."

Dean sighed. "What do you want from me?" Gabe smiled. "I want you to quit being an arrogant dick, and let me come along on your quest." Dean's eyebrows shot up, and Gabe went on casually. "It sounds fun."

Dean pursed his lips, and the Pegasus nuzzled against him. "Don't deny it- you don't know where the hells you're going. And you know I can help!"

Dean grumbled in response, but didn't deny it. He finally sighed. "Fine. But don't talk so much, okay?"

"Okay! Oh yeah, we can tell stories, we can make waffles with lots and lots of syrup and candy on them, we can sing a-capella renditions of Kansas songs-" "Woah, woah, woah," Dean said as they followed the path, "We're not doing any of that." "What? Come on! Pleeeease?!" Dean rubbed his temples at the annoying creature following him.

"Fine- if it means you'll shut your cakehole, _ONE_ Carry On My Wayward Son. And no damn waffles!" "Ugh. Fine. Ahem. CARRY ON MY WAAAYYWARD SOOOON- THEY'LL BE PEACE WHEN YOU ARE DOOONE-"

Dean groaned inwardly. This was gonna be a long quest.

* * *

They walked until the next day, stopping only for rest overnight, and snaked around the swamp, Gabriel providing helpful ways around areas that were potentially jacked up with ogre bait and traps galore, also providing some not-so-helpful entertainment, singing the equivalent of musical death.

"Would you shut _up_?!" Dean finally asked, covering his ears, and Gabriel pouted. "My voice is beautiful, Dean-O. Back in the day, lords and ladies of Far Far Away would pay bucket loads to hear my true voice sing." Dean shuddered. "Those poor, misguided souls."

They were on their way to the Bramble Thicket. That sure sounded inviting- but it was the only way to get to the other side of the swamp.

They walked through the area, which was getting darker and damper as they emerged, and saw bushes begin to surround the path, bearing tiny, red berries.

"All right. Once we're in here, we have to hurry, or it'll swallow us up and turn us into its lunch." Dean stared at him. "It's a _bramble patch_." "Yeah? And?" Dean swallowed, and they kept walking.

"Huh," the young man said, peering around. They started walking further in, and Gabriel yelped as he felt something sharp poking into him. "Woah-ho, is that a bramble bush, or are you just happy to see me?"

Dean scowled. "We're surrounded by these things." "Yikes. Alright, don't touch anything. The thorns are poisonous, which means if you get scratched by one of these things, you'll keel over in milliseconds." "Gee, thanks for the belated words of wisdom, feathers." "You'll be thanking me when you're still breathing on the other side."

They carefully made their way through, and came to a very small, very narrow closure and opening in the thicket. "Oh, now, this is wonderful," Dean muttered, "How are we gonna fit through that?!" "Easy. Like this," Gabe said, concentrating hard on something. When nothing happened for a few silent seconds, Dean held his arms out, inviting an explanation.

"Like what?" Gabriel opened his eyes. "Uh... that's not so good… See, we were supposed to shrink down into real tiny things so we could get through, but... something's cock-blocking my magic!" Dean sighed.

"Welp. Guess we'll just have to wing it!" the Pegasus said, a little more nonchalantly than Dean would have liked. "Uh... how, exactly, would we achieve that?" "Don't get scratched, muttonhead!" Gabe said, giving an annoying grin.

Dean cursed under his breath, and watched as Gabriel made a shallow leap through, and miraculously made it.

"How the hell... holy shit, I'm not going to make it..." Dean grimaced, trying to get through carefully. "Just go for it!" "Shut the hell up," Dean spat, his face contorting. "Remember who you're on this quest for! Do it for your hottie!" Gabe pointed out, and Dean sighed.

Just then, he heard a sound, and realized all of the thorns were actually growing.

"Ah!" he cried, and Gabe winced. "Yeeeeah, I forgot to also mention- if you don't _really_ high-tail it, they'll start to actually come after you." Dean's eyes darted around in panic, and with a nervous lip-bite, he threw himself through, landing hard on his stomach on the safe, green grass.

"Oof," he mumbled, and looked back to see the hole closing up. _I could still be in there, getting eaten alive by thorn bushes,_ he thought bitterly. A sentence he thought he would never think to himself.

Now that they had made it through that treacherous area, they made their way on to the North part of the swampland and forest.

Just as they were coming along to another fork in the road, Dean noticed something along the ground. "Wait- wait, GABE DON'T-!"

***snap* *CRACK!***

The two hollered as they were snatched up by two nets made of metal wire, now hanging upside down from a slimy green tree branch.

"Ugh…thanks a lot for your so called _help_, wingman," Dean muttered, and Gabriel struggled. "Hey- I had no idea this was here, I swear!" "Well, use your powers to zap us out, before whatever trapped us in these things comes and grinds our bones into bread!"

"Now, now. That sounds revolting. I'd rather settle for a nice old scotch and watch you two blame each other for my genius," said a drawling British voice behind them, and the two tried to look around to place it.

Suddenly, they heard a slice, and before they knew it, they were falling to the ground with a thud. They got up, groaning and wiping dirt off of themselves. "Who's there?!" Dean called, and the voice spoke again.

"Who's there, you ask? Well- the most feared being in all of the Swamp- the most cunning mind in the whole kingdom!"

Dean was beginning to worry now just who they had crossed paths with…


	8. Thinking Of Dean

"It is I- Fergus McCrowley."

And out jumped a black cat, standing on its hind legs, and brandishing a pistol.

Gabe started laughing first- or maybe it was Dean- but the point was, they both started laughing their heads off. That is, until the cat in question held two guns up to their heads.

Dean gulped, putting his hands up. "B-but... you're a cat." "I know what I am," it said, inspecting its sharp claws, "My size will not stop me from clawing your eyes out. What's a human doing in these parts with a_ Pegasus_?" it asked, the last word rolling off his tongue as if it was poison. Gabe sneered back, and Dean answered before any hostility commenced.

"We're on a quest- to rescue the Prince of Far Far Away from a tower in Dragon's Keep."

Now it was the feline's turn to laugh. "You must be joking." Dean scowled. "Do I look like I'm joking?!"

Crowley wiped the smile off his face. "No, not particularly. Alright, I'll bite- what makes this Prince dreamy enough to motivate you to risk your life saving him?"

Dean exhaled. _Where do I start?_ he thought in a momentary haze, then snapped back to attention. "Uh, let me think, I'd say, it's none of your damn business. Let us through." "Ooh, demands, demands- yet I'm the one with the weapons positioned against your foreheads."

Dean clenched his jaw. "Damn you enchanted animals! You're freaking annoying!"

Crowley smiled. "Look. I'll let you through, because I don't doubt you have noble intentions. On one condition." Dean sighed. "What?" "I'm assuming you've got no gold on you- so robbing you would be pointless. I'll just… hop along for the ride, and offer my services."

Dean let out a high pitched laugh. "No friggin' way is a _cat_ coming on this trip, especially not some posh British one who thinks he can scare a _dragon_ away with his sharp claws and big eyes."

Crowley looked deeply offended. "I am an honorable, and highly diplomatic cat -business is my business- if I offer my services to you, I intend to stick with you until the end," he said. Dean rolled his eyes. "Super."

"Hey, get lost, furball," Gabe cut in, "He's already got a best friend!" Dean reluctantly nodded. He wouldn't use those _exact_ words to describe Gabriel, but his dislike of the idea of the cat coming along ultimately outweighed his honesty. So the two began to walk away.

"Wait!" they heard, and so they turned one last time.

There, standing and looking adorable with the sweetest, most precious red eyes imaginable, was Crowley, giving them a killer cute look whilst purring softly.

"Oh..." Dean muttered, "Aw, no. Christ, man... I can't leave that!" he told the Pegasus. "But-" Gabe protested, but Dean had already begun walking back, and he scooped Crowley up. "Alright, Crowley. You can come too- but you have to promise not to be annoying. I can't deal with two idiots."

"My lips are sealed," Crowley said in satisfaction, and Gabriel huffed as they walked along the path together toward their next venture on the map.

It was early evening now, the stars beginning to appear around the tower; though it didn't make much of a difference due to how high up Castiel was- said stars were hardly visible because of all the smoke rising from the fire and lava around the dreadful place.

He looked out the window at the land around him. It was barren, rocky, dangerous- off in the distance, he could faintly see the beginnings of a forest that looked like the Enchanted one he had learned about back when he was being taught by his private tutor, The Fairy Godmother.

Since it was now nighttime, he felt his wings grow again behind his back, and he sighed. At least the silver lining was, that no one could see them when he was here.

A rogue, though not entirely surprising, thought crossed Cas' mind.

_I wonder what Dean's doing right now? _he thought.

At this thought, his legs splayed open a little wider on the bed, his fingers dropping lightly between his legs.

He's probably working at The Poison Apple, he thought with a moan, rubbing slow circles gingerly around his inner things. He would be dressed in his white shirt, that white cotton shirt unbuttoned to his chest... those knee high boots... and those brown drawstring pants that Cas wanted desperately to pull off right then.

He leaned his head back, carefully palming himself through his trousers. He wished he was there- at the Poison Apple, the smell of alcohol and excitement, heavy in the air. Being there made him feel dangerous... independent, reckless, deliciously immoral.

He thought of Dean's strong hands on his shoulders as he slowly worked himself, and let out a little moan of frustration at the meddling clothing between, and at the fact that he couldn't feel Dean there with him.

He unbuckled his belt, remembering how it felt to have Dean's lips on his dick, licking, sucking, swallowing him so good... oh...

But Dean's probably with another customer right now, he thought sadly, he's probably forgotten about me already.

He licked his lips as he took himself out of his trousers, reveling in the feeling of his hand around his half hard dick.

He remembered what Dean had done with the licking, and exercised that. Then he slowly started pumping himself, pressing his head back into the pillow.

He imagined Dean riding him, bouncing on top of his cock as they panted and slammed together. Cas could imagine Dean's sweet moans echoing around his room as he pushed up from underneath, causing Dean to whine, he imagined, and seek out that same depth again.

Cas started to thrust into his fist, pretending it was Dean, shaking and sweating on top of him. "Oh... Dean," he mumbled, "Ah... right there, Dean... right-"

His breath hitched as he massaged the underside of his shaft. His stroking motions became a little more urgent, and picturing Dean's lips, red and swollen, open and moaning out his name, got Cas harder than ever.

He imagined Dean gripping onto his shoulders as he rode him, cursing and groaning.

"Dean... just like that," Cas said softly, "I need it... I need you... unff..." He jerked himself harder, thumbing small circles around the head as he thought of Dean's own solid dick, pressed up against his stomach, twitching, throbbing for release that only Cas could provide...

"Oh, FUCK, Dean," he moaned, and he was turned on beyond belief saying that, as he had never used such words before. "Right there!"

He felt his stomach tighten, and in a second more of stroking around the sensitive tip, he came hard, thinking of Dean's husky voice murmuring sweet nothings in his ear.

He was breathless as he came down from the high, lying in the afterglow and wishing he had Dean in his arms.

It just made it hurt that much more that he didn't.


	9. An Unwanted Surprise

Dean laid back against a slab of rock, kicking more wood into the fire they had made with the side of his foot. His feet hurt like hell from walking all day.

He was determined to get to Cas as soon as possible, so he took out the map, taking this opportunity to study it. He heard the sound of low snoring, and looked to his side, where Gabriel and Crowley were passed out, sleeping. He smirked.

The pair weren't half bad. Yeah, they annoyed the hell out of him- but though he would never admit it, he didn't mind the company _that _much. It was all right to have them around.

With a tired sigh, he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, and he looked back to the map, the roughened pads of his fingers trailing over the crisp paper.

He studied the map for any more shortcuts- then his eyes drifted curiously over to the bottom right, the opposite of the swamp.

_Duloc…_

It was deserted now, of course, after the devastation of the battle and the fall of their king, Farquad… he hoped the bastard was rotting.

He felt his chest tighten, and he realized his breath was quickening. He thought of the battle… of how he waited, with his mother and his little brother Sam, just _waited_, for news of his dad… always hoping, always optimistic. He had to be… for Sammy.

And then they got it. The news.

John was dead, and he was never coming back… and Dean could have dealt with it, if he had had a family to help him through it long after that, but….

He closed his eyes, and the energy it took to force his thoughts elsewhere was even more tiring. He felt sleep tug at him, dragging him down into a restless, exhaustion-motivated slumber.

_He opened his eyes. It was nighttime, and strangely quiet around their small cottage in the middle of the forest. _

"_Mom?" he asked softly, rubbing his eyes, "...Mom? Everything all right?"_

_Then, he heard a whispered hush, and saw his mother standing at the door with a finger to her lips. He was now fully awake, concern weaving through him from the look on her face. _

"_What is it?" he whispered, padding out of bed. "The army of Duloc- the one your father fought against- they're here for us." _

_He scratched his head. "What? What do you mean for us?" "Dean, the people of Duloc are… ruthless, and they tend to seek out conquest and bloodshed. They want to devastate the opposition." _

_He frowned, calculating what this all meant as best he could. "Where's Sam?" "Your brother's still in bed. I was going to wake him up after I got you." "No, I'll get him. Get some stuff together, we should leave before they get to us," the younger Dean told his mom. _

_He quietly crept over to Sam's room, waking up the floppy haired boy sleeping there. He was sprawled out, out like a rock._

"_Sam? Sammy? Hey, wake up." Sam roused, groaning. "What is it, Dean?" "Get up, buddy. We've got to go." _

_Sam, in his half-awake state, looked at Dean, and his brother's expression radiated subtle urgency, saying everything. He nodded slowly, getting out of bed with his brother. "Where are we going?" "Somewhere safe." "Where's mom?" "She's coming with us, don't worry."_

_Just as Sam was getting some of his stuff together, they heard a crash, the sound of glass breaking, and a scream. His eyes widened, and he ran out, seeing the entire living room engulfed in quickly-moving flames. _

"_MOM?!" he shouted urgently, trying to find a way around the flames lapping at the wall, eating up everything they had ever had. _

"_Dean, go!" he heard, "Take your brother and go!" Dean looked over. "I'm not leaving you!" "Save Sammy! Go, Dean! Please!" He saw his mom in the corner of his room, shielding her face from the smoke. _

_Dean set his lips, and tried to jump over the fire anyway, but a beam fell right in front of him, the roof caving. "NO!" he shouted, but after a minute, he turned, grabbing Sam from his room. _

"_Come on, Sam, we gotta go." _

_Just as they were running down the hallway and out the door, Sam tripped, and fell to the ground. The army was crowding the cottage, and tossing more burning sacks in. _

"_Sam!" Dean called as he went back to the door, the name seeming to echo amidst the anarchy, and he went running back for his brother. He could barely see through the smoke, but he heard his brother gasping in pain from a hurt ankle, still inside. "Sam, give me your hand!" he called, "Come on now!" _

_He tried to grab for his brother's hand, but he couldn't see and could hardly breathe any more. _

"_Dean!" he heard, and Dean grimaced, grabbing blindly for his brother. Just then, the entire roof caved in, and the cottage was swallowed in flames. _

_Dean was thrown back, sitting still on the ground, just staring at the burning cottage in a state of utter shock. "S-Sam?" he asked softly. _

"_SAMMY!" he cried out._

"Hey! Hey! Wake up!"

Dean felt a hoof on his chest, insistently shaking him.

"Huh?" he started, jolting awake.

"You were having a bad dream, Dean-O," Gabriel said, frowning. "A bloody loud one, too," Crowley grumbled, rubbing his head with a paw.

Dean adjusted to his surroundings, suddenly remembering where he was and who he was with. He was in the swampland. None of it was happening again. It was all okay.

"Uh… sorry," he mumbled. "What was it about?" Gabriel prodded, yawning. "Just… stuff," Dean said, rubbing the back of his neck. The two stared at him, and he rolled his eyes after a moment.

"All right! All right, fine. My… my family… was... uh, killed, when I was young… I think I was fifteen when it happened. There was a fire, and it was all… horrible… god, I miss them so much," he said, losing his resolve and feeling tears spring to his eyes.

"Wow," Crowley muttered, and Gabriel moved closer.

"I… I've been living with some… people, since then, working, uh… some jobs, to help me get by," Dean swallowed.

He thought for a moment, staring at a crack in a treebrach as if it were out of place. "My mom was so beautiful. She was nice to everyone, y'know? And Sammy… man, he was a pain in my ass. But… all little brothers are, right? God… he was only 11."

Crowley cringed at this, and Gabriel sighed. "Listen, kiddo," the Pegasus said, "I guess it must be really hard for you-" "I'll say, I've been getting panic attacks since then." "…Well, if it's any consolation… we're here for you, koshur?"

Dean looked at them. "You? The two dorky animals I just met in the middle of friggin' Ogre Country?" he smirked, wiping his eyes and opting to laugh a little. "I'm a Pegasus," Gabe insisted, rolling his eyes, "_Pegasus_!" and Crowley jumped on Dean's lap in a rare display of affection.

"It is especially curious that I have taken a liking to you...Squirrel," the cat purred, giving him a befitting new nickname, "I usually hate people like you." Dean sniffed, smiling as he quoted something he had surely said to a client before. "What can I say? It's my natural charm."

They all sat in comfortable silence, watching the sun rise over the tops of the trees as they finally fell asleep again.

* * *

"Rise and shine!" Dean said, banging his boot against a log, "Get up!"

Crowley and Gabriel peeked out underneath heavy eyelids, and Dean was standing above them. "Come on, hop to it!" he said, clapping his hands loudly, "Let's get going, get on the road, everyone! We've got a Prince to save."

They would be passing through the orchards today, Dean figured, that would take long enough in itself, so they had to get a good, early start.

"Ack..." Crowley said, "We just went to bed!" "Yeah, like _four_ hours ago," Dean reminded him. "I rest my case," the cat groaned.

But the two got up, determined to help with this quest anyway, especially after learning more about Dean the night before.

They made it up over a large hill, and came down upon rows and rows of apple and pear trees, that were glowing with a shimmery gold haze around them.

"Damn, those look good," Dean muttered, licking his lips as he felt his stomach growl.

He was pretty hungry, and wasn't too fond of the Gingie's Quickie Gingerbread Bars he had stocked up on in that Peter Pan place before, so he couldn't resist reaching for an apple as they went by.

"No way, uh uh," Gabriel said, nudging his hand away, "That's enchanted fruit! You eat one of those, and you'll be hooked for the rest of your life! Trust me- these babies are in high demand, and you don't really want to be known as a fruit junkie."

Dean frowned, but kept walking with a defeated sigh.

Just then, they saw an arrow hurtling at them. Dean gasped, and if Crowley wasn't so agile and reflexive, he would have been kabobbed to the spot.

"Stop right there!" A somewhat familiar voice said, and Dean swallowed what felt like daggers as he saw who was coming over the next hill.

Robin Hood, and his band of Merry Men.

"Uh," Dean muttered, feeling faint, "Run. Run now." "Run?" Crowley asked, pulling out his guns and giving them an anticipatory polish, "But the fun's just starting!"

"Crowley, I swear to all that is holy, I will skin you alive and turn you into a nice, furry black pelt if you don't-"

"Winchester?"

Dean's eyes slid shut, and he looked at his feet, his back to the archer. He paused for a moment, sucking in a breath. "Robin!" he said loudly, faking a smile and turning around.

"Who is this guy?" Gabriel whispered with an indignant huff to Crowley, who just shrugged.

"Why, might I ask... are you gallivanting about in the Enchanted Orchards with a gold pony and a stray cat?" Robin asked with a sickly smile, twisting an arrow around his bow. Dean could sense the spite in his words.

"Well, I nevah-!" Crowley began, but Dean kicked him inconspicuously, clearing his throat. He really wanted to tell Robin to go screw himself, that it was none of his damn business what he was doing there, but he held his sweet smile.

"Just passing through," he told him, nodding. "Oh yes? Is that why I haven't seen you at the Poison Apple for three days?" Gabriel frowned, and Crowley looked up at Dean.

"The Poison Apple?" Gabriel asked, "As in... tavern for villains?" "Yes, that's the one," Crowley murmured, "I make some of my business deals there…" They both looked at Dean for explanation.

"What?" Robin chuckled, "You haven't told your little woodland friends that you're a brothel whore?"

That really stung. There was a collective silence as Dean ground his teeth together and scuffed the toe of his boot into the dirt, attempting to shrug the name off and not feel ashamed in front of the two next to him. Geez- and after all those amazing nights he had given this douchebag?

"_Was_," Dean corrected him, avoiding a hostile tone, "I don't work there anymore." Robin actually sputtered at this. "Really? Well, the two who run the place are furious, claiming you just ran off without so much as a thank you for helping you survive these past few years!"

Dean cringed. He knew the stepsisters would be pissed when they found him gone. And they're not people you want to get on the bad side of. That was one of the risk of just up and leaving- he knew he was a big part of their business, and he guessed they would have a right to be mad about it.

But Robin finding out about this? This lousy guy finding out about why he worked there? That was a boundary personally crossed.

Dean suddenly felt a race of courage, built up anger coursing through him after being treated this way by a guy who thought _way_ too highly of himself. None of this shit anymore.

"Look, Robin. I don't work at the Poison Apple anymore, so you can find something else to shove your cock into, okay? Preferably, your own ass. Oh wait, never mind- it wouldn't be able to reach."

Gabe and Crowley hooted with laughter, and if looks could kill...

Robin seethed at Dean. "I have people with me," he said gesturing to the circle around him, "I could take you back and turn you over to them!"

Now that was a thought that actually scared Dean- just the idea of going back to the brothel, returning to work, and living like that again was enough to make him nervous.

He smiled, and shook his head. "I've got back up too, asshat." Gabe grinned, quick to join in. "That's right, buddy- you try anything, I'll go all Pegasus on your ass!"

Just then, Robin's eyes widened. "You... can talk? And you are a _Pegasus_?!" "Yeeeah... what's it to you, dickwad?" Suddenly, Robin pointed a short, excited finger at him. "I have been hunting your kind for years! Your wings are worth millions! Get him!" He shrieked at his merry men, and Dean stood in front of them.

"Don't you dare touch him!" he roared. "What are you going to do, Dean?" Robin crowed, "Turn tricks on me?

Dean's nostrils flared. "I'm gonna slice your throat." Robin dropped his smile. "Give me the Pegasus, or I will drag you back to the Apple, kicking and screaming like the little bitch that you are!" Dean took one of Crowley's hidden swords, fired up.

"Try."

Robin accepted this challenge, lurching forward while pulling his own sword.

Now, Dean was far from experienced… he was pretty much far from _far from_ experienced as well. He had never even held a sword in his life, if you take the literal and not suggestive meaning, so he was fumbling as he tried to hold the thing like he knew how. If there was ever a bar fight, it was usually Cyclops who dealt with it, not him. Not his area of expertise…

"Ha! You have no chance," Robin smiled devilishly, but Dean thrust forward anyway. _Alright, this thing is sharp, I can probably poke him with it somewhere_, Dean thought determinedly to himself. Probably not the thoughts of a master swordsman, but at least he knew how to work it… sort of.

He jabbed forward, and caught Robin Hood's arm, causing the archer to growl. "When did you learn how to fence, Winchester?!" he asked angrily. Dean grinned. "I never did- guess I'm just awesome like that."

Crowley rolled his eyes, and took out his other, spare sword, jumping forward and fighting too.

The merry men were otherwise engaged in trying to trap Gabriel, who was laughing as he galloped around, leading them in circles. One member of the oafish group was following the escapades, accompanying behind the chase while intensely playing the accordion.

"Fools!" Robin shouted, "Use your weapons!" As if some firecracker went off in their faces, the merry men all fumbled for their swords, waving them around deliriously in attempt to snag the Pegasus.

"Haha! Suckers!" Gabriel grinned, "I'm too smart for you!" "I think anyone is," Crowley muttered.

Robin slashed his sword across Dean's cheek, creating a scratch down the curve of his cheekbone. "Ow!" he muttered, furiously glaring back at his opponent. "Oh, you asked for it!"

He went forward, sticking the point of his sword into Robin's other arm, making the archer howl in pain. Just as Dean thought he was in for another bout of wrath, Robin smirked as he saw who was approaching them out of the corner of his eye. He turned suddenly, catching Gabriel by surprise, where he was running behind him.

"NO!"  
Robin chuckled as he saw that he had slashed just under Gabriel's chest. At first, Dean assumed Gabe could simply heal himself back, being a magical creature and all that. But then he saw that the Pegasus looked alarmed, a look that Dean wasn't used to seeing on him, so he knew something was wrong. He ran over, dropping the sword.

To get through to Gabe in one swoop, Dean defaulted to his primal fighting stance, if he ever had one- punching.

He punched Robin out of the way, and Gabriel was looking down at his wound. It wasn't fatal… but there was a strange, light blue glow seeping out slowly as a high pitched frequency noise faintly sounded.

"What's that?!" Dean frowned. "It's… it's my grace," Gabe gulped.

"Whadyou mean? Like the stuff that makes you magical?" Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Yes, Professor Genius, that stuff. If I…" he exhaled, "If I run out, I'll just be a regular, limp old stallion- without any mojo, nothing… forever."

Dean automatically turned to glare at the writhing man on the ground beside them. "You son of a bitch!"

The archer scrambled up, backing away to arm's length. "G-give up, Winchester- the Pegasus is mine!"

Just then, they all hear a shuffling noise behind Robin. He slowly turned, and saw Crowley standing there, staring at him with his hat in his hands.

Robin couldn't help but let out a soft _awwww_ when he saw that face, Crowley's big, soulful red eyes unblinking and adorable. Robin smiled a little, lost in the cat's cuteness, and Crowley took that opportunity to suddenly whip out a silver and black colt gun, pointing it straight at his head.

"I'll give you five minutes to start running, or I'll pull the trigger. And darling- I never miss."

Robin looked down at Crowley in surprise, then stepped back with a faint chuckle, attempting to show how unafraid he was of the cat despite his weary apprehension from the gun pointed straight at him.

"Listen, _furball_. I could simply kick you-"

***BANG!***

Robin yelped as his hat was blown clean off his head, and took off running the other way, his band of Merry Idiots following close behind.

Crowley blew smoke from his gun, grinning with self-satisfaction before scampering over to join Dean.

"Gabe, does it hurt?" Dean was asking, and Gabriel shook his head. "Nope. I don't feel pain- perks of being a celestial being. But if I don't heal myself soon, I'll lose all my grace."

"Well then... do it!" "I can't, Mr. Helpful, I've got to be in my natural habitat, which is faaaar from here." Dean sighed, conflicted. He knew his past would come back to bite him in the ass sooner or later.

"Listen," Gabriel said, cutting through his contemplation, "We'll probably have enough time to save this Prince of yours before I go fully limp." Dean looked down. "You sure?" "Hells yeah... I'm fine, really."

Dean nodded, a little hesitant, but the three set off again on their way.


	10. Riddles Or Bust

Cas sat on the bed. He was bored quite frequently- back in the castle, he had a huge library all to himself, where he usually passed his time reading everything from ancient scrolls of history to grand tales of travel across the sea.

He heaved out a sigh, and thought back to his wings. More than once, he had cursed Zachariah for provoking that witch into putting this awful spell on him. But it was senseless anger- if Zachariah had never spited Rowena and refused her hand, Castiel himself would have never been born.

_Well, maybe that's better_, he thought, resting his chin on his fist like a sulky adolescent, _What purpose do I serve now, locked up in a tower for my own frivolous mistakes? I'm just a waste of space. _

He knew, despite the burning ache of distant hope, that Dean wasn't looking for him, didn't care about him, and it was unreturned love. Everything looked quite dark for him right then and there.

_Even if Dean and I were together,_ he began in his head, laughing suddenly at what miracle could possibly make that happen, _if we were... I couldn't hide my wings from him for long. He would find out. And then he would hate me. He would think I'm ugly, and I would be right back where I started._

He looked out his window as he was quite used to doing now as means of personal amusement, and wondered again what Dean was doing.

* * *

"Jesus Christ, son of a bitch, god dammit, balls!" Dean exclaimed, looking at the map.

"What is it now?" Gabriel asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Do we want to know?" Crowley muttered. "There's a bridge up here!" Dean growled, crumpling the map slightly in his fist. "Ooookay. And, your problem with this is?" the Pegasus asked, and Dean glared.

"Look at what it's called, feathers." Gabe took a look at the map. "Oh. I see your point." Crowley frowned. "What is it?" "It's the troll bridge, asshat! We're gonna have to answer some stupid friggin' riddle or some shit."

"Wait, wait, wait," Gabriel assured, "I can knock that troll out of its stingy swamp water when it comes to riddles. Yeah, those guys are arrogant S.O.B.s, but we gotta cross 'em one way or another if we want to get Dean's beloved."

Crowley hummed. "Wonderful. A troll bridge. Just what I've been looking forward to."

They walked for about another half hour, and finally came up on the bridge where the troll was said to lurk underneath. It was a stone and cobble bridge, rather small and not that high up over the babbling brook running underneath.

Dean looked around. "Well, where is he?" "Let's go over the bridge, and see." They began to walk over the cobble bridge, but a sudden voice stopped them as they barely set one foot down.

"Ah ah ah!" it cooed, "Not before a good riddle!"

Dean groaned, and they all stepped back, searching to see what the troll looked like. When he appeared, he was very short, had curly salt and pepper hair, and an impish looking face with very, coincidentally, troll-like expression and features.

"Good day to you," the troll grinned mischievously, "I'm Merv. Who might you be?" "Is this a riddle?" Dean whispered to Gabriel, and miraculously, Merv heard. "No, silly, not yet! I'm being_ pleasant_."

Dean feigned a curt smile. "Yeah, okay." He didn't want to piss it off prematurely, since there was no other way around without this bridge, due to the invisible, enchanted blockade that was remnant from the war.

"I'm Dean Winchester. This is Gabriel, the Pegasus, and-" "Fergus McCrowley. Best pawn artist and one of the greatest bounty hunters in these parts." Merv frowned at the cat thoughtfully. "Then why haven't I heard of you?"

Crowley was speechless, and Dean sighed. "Okay. Let's get this shit over with." "Tell me, Dean Winchester- why have you come this far? You seem to me to be a regular person, not a magical creature... you must be from the Kingdom!"

Dean chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't stray that far." Merv looked at him. "What quest do you bear?" Dean hesitated, then decided no harm could come of letting the guy in on a little. "We're on our way to rescue Prince Castiel from Dragon's Keep."

Merv made a face. "Ah, yes, Prince Ass-tiel. I've heard of him. I hate royalty." Dean didn't expect a troll to feel particularly warm toward the royals, but he still felt the need to defend Cas. "Hey! He's a good guy, what do you know, you hobbit?"

Merv waved his hand, somewhat amused rather than miffed at the name. "His family and I go way back. Anyhow, shall we?"

They stepped forward, then Merv tutted again. "One at a time, please. Each person gets their own." Dean paled, and Crowley sighed.

Dean stepped forward, but Gabe nudged him out of the way. "No, I'll go first." Merv eyed Gabriel. "Nasty gash you've got there, Gabriel," he said, "Not so GRACE-ful anymore, are we?"

Gabriel scowled at the pun. "Alright, Chatty Kathy, we've got numero-_limited_ days left to get this prince, so quit being a big bag of dicks, and vamoose!" Merv was quiet, knowing that Pegasus were generally good at riddles.

"Brothers and sisters I have none,

but this man's father is my father's son.

Who is the man?"

Gabriel barely thought about it before he swiftly answered, "Come on, ya can't do any better than that? The answer is, the man is _my son_." He grinned as he clopped over to the other side. "I told you. I'm too devastatingly intelligent for this." Merv rolled his eyes.

Crowley stepped forward, and listened closely.

"I have a good one for you, my friend.

What is greater than God,

more evil than the devil,

the poor have it,

the rich need it,

and if you eat it, you'll die?"

The cat thought for a second, and Gabriel looked as if he may jump out of his skin to just answer it for him. Crowley furrowed his brow, before answering cautiously but smoothly, "That would be... _nothing_, yes?"

Merv raised his eyebrows, and nodded.

Dean steeled himself before stepping up. Crowley and Gabriel took a collective deep breath, and Dean frowned, ever glad that his friends had such unremitting faith in him.

"Dean..." Merv mused, "Hmmm... yes. A special one for you." Dean shifted his weight from foot to foot as the troll recited the last liberating riddle.

"Of no use to one,

Yet absolute bliss to two.

The small boy gets it for nothing.

The young man has to lie or work for it.

The old man has to buy it.

The baby's right,

The lover's privilege,

The hypocrite's mask.

To the young girl, faith;

To the married woman, hope;

To the old maid, charity.

What am I?"

Dean silently freaked out. He didn't want to ask him to repeat it- but he had no freakin' clue. He almost panicked, but put his hands on his hips, and clenched his jaw.

"Okay, wait, time out here," he said slowly, "What happens if I answer wrong?"

Merv shrugged nonchalantly. "I smite you." Dean nearly choked, and Gabriel snorted on the other side of the bridge.

The young man smiled. "Well. This should be fun." He decided not to question how a troll could smite someone. "Uh... could you say it again, p-please?"

Merv patiently repeated the long riddle, Dean squinting and analyzing each word spoken- you could almost see the wheels in his head turning. When it was over, he sucked in a breath. He still didn't know.

Gabriel and Crowley were gaping at him, and he held out his arms.

"What?! It's not like I'm a huge friggin' scholar, okay? I dropped out of Far Far Away Academy after..." He shook his head, and went over the riddle again in his mind.

Merv studied him, pausing before speaking. "Listen. I like you, Dean. I can sense that you're a brave young man by nature." Dean scoffed at this. "Then you clearly don't know me." Merv tilted his head quizzically, and Dean waved his hand. "Look, I've spent my whole life running from my problems. I ain't brave, buddy. Er, sir."

The troll sat forward a little more. "But what you are doing now- it _is_ redeeming that, no? You are going after what, I'd assume, you want most. That's especially admirable. Look, I'll give you a hint- which I never do, so I'd say you're_ implicitly_ lucky. Think of your dear Castiel- it may have been something you two have done before."

Dean stared blankly.

"Uh... bang?"

If Gabriel could face palm, he would, and Crowley visibly deflated. Merv smirked. "No." Dean grimaced, preparing to be smited, or smote, or whatever. But that never came. "Come on, Dean. Try something a little more PG-13. I know you know this."

Dean thought long and hard. He recounted the things he had done with Cas in the short time he actually had with the Prince- they talked, Dean blew him, Cas fucked him... he didn't really want to give 'blow job' as an answer. Was he missing something?

Just then, a thought struck him, and he replayed the riddle again, adding in his new answer to see if it fit.

"Kiss! A kiss!" Dean nearly shouted, face ecstatic with hope and self accomplishment. Merv grinned impishly, and nodded.

"I must say, you're initial guesses were quite unique... but, you got the riddle right, so I wish you all the best on your quest for true love," he said, giving another smile.

Dean nodded, stopping before he crossed the bridge. "Um... thanks," he said, meaning it. Merv simply smiled more, and disappeared, under the bridge again no doubt.

"He wasn't horrible," Dean mumbled. Gabe cocked his head. "Meh. The ones I've met in the past were worse. Though if you ask me, all trolls are self-centered douchewads- and I wouldn't exactly call him Mr. Rogers."

They continued to walk, and Dean felt as if they had been walking for days- which, evidently, they had been.

Their trek continued until the end of the week, not as especially eventful as the start, passing ponds, passing weeping willows (that actually wept periodically), and here and there, they would encounter the odd creature out for a walk or out hunting or something.

Gabriel also kept his mouth shut every time they met someone, not wanting to risk another Pegasus hunter.

The Pegasus' grace was slowly but surely fading, and though Gabe was worried about it, he said nothing- he convinced himself for the sake of the others that he would be fine.

* * *

Cas couldn't help it. He let the tears come. He cried and cried. There was no way out of this wretched tower. It was hell- and he knew the tears were useless, that it wouldn't bring Dean back, that it wouldn't free him of his confines, but... he just couldn't hold it in any longer.

He cried long and hard, shamelessly, for who would hear?

He was only interrupted a time later, when the enchanted stone knight brought his food, showing no signs of empathy for Castiel or acknowledgement of him.

* * *

As Dean, Gabriel, and Crowley began to near Dragon's Keep, the geography of the land they were travelling over started to become a tad more barren, sparsely populated patches of green here and there, the only reminder that they were still in Far Far Away.

"We almost there?" Gabriel complained. "Hey! You were the one who begged to come along on this thing," Dean reminded his first companion. "Yeah, because I thought it would be fun! Name the last time we made waffles, huh?!"

Dean rolled his eyes. "I'll tell you what, Gabriel. When we get back to the castle, you can have all the waffles, and candy, and whatever other unhealthy shit you want, okay?"

There was momentary silence, which was strange, because Dean was waiting for Gabe's usual retort of a snarky comment or sarcastic offering. But when none surfaced, he looked over to find the Pegasus looking quite dumbfounded.

"What is it? You seriously never knew those things were bad for you?" Dean asked. Gabriel shook his head. "It's not that. What you said... when _we_ get back to the castle..." Dean blushed slightly. "Oh... that. Yeah, it just slipped out. I mean, I don't care if you... ya know... unless... well, you don't have to... but… if you do..."

"We heard what you said, Squirrel!" Crowley said, smirking slightly. Dean huffed, and Gabe looked down. "Well, the only thing is, I just... didn't think you cared that much about us." Dean looked at him.

"What? Look, I may be an 'arrogant dick,' but I know," he sighed, pre-regretting his use of this word, "_Friends_, when they come around."

At that, they settled into comfortable silence as they hiked further.

"Dragon's Keep," Crowley announced, looking out over the frighteningly foreboding land.

They had just climbed an impossibly high hill, and were hiding behind jagged rocks. Just a few feet beyond them, the land sloped down, and the ground became a charred black color, covered in ash.

There was smoke and steam everywhere, and it was unbearably hot due to the lava in close proximity.

Dean's eyes travelled along the unwelcoming, hellish land, but when he finally caught sight of the tower in the distance, he felt a pang in his heart- and nothing else seemed to matter but Cas.

"Let's do this," he mumbled, renewed vigor coursing through him as he realized just how close they were. To be honest, it was surreal- the whole time he was on the quest, the whole time he knew what his goal was... but now, he was there. He was so close, and it all felt so sweet, so _real_.

Gabriel and Crowley reluctantly followed behind Dean, and they all stopped when they came to a rickety bridge, swinging precariously hundreds of feet over top of lava. It was the only way to get to the other side, where the tower was.


	11. Dragon's Keep

"Yeeeah..." Gabriel said slowly, "There is noooo way that thing will hold any of us all the way to the other side." Just then, he felt a sharp pain, and collapsed to the ground.

"Gabriel?!" Dean asked, rushing forward, "Gabe?!" The Pegasus roused, groaning. "I'm... I'm just a little faint, 'at's... 'at's all..." Dean looked at him grimly. "Your grace." Gabriel lifted his head. "Ow... yep, I'd say that's what doin' it... I guess it's fading faster than I thought..."

Dean looked off into the distance. "We should never have let you come this far." "_Let _me? I'm an omnipotent being! Just because you're gonna marry a prince, doesn't mean you can boss me around!" "Yeah, yeah, but you'll become a regular horse if you lose it all!"

Gabriel sighed. "I know... that's what kinda scares me. Look… I'll be fine. We've come this far- let's just do this, and I'll heal soon."

Dean narrowed his eyes, but Gabe started trotting toward the bridge. Crowley looked wearily across. "Right... may I request a leave of absence?" "You're coming with us, Crowley." "But-" "Now!"

The cat clucked his tongue, and followed suit. They stood at the mouth of the shaking bridge, rungs missing here and there across the rotted wooden pathway, suspended in the air.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," the cat said, and Dean winced, peering over the edge. Little spouts of fire burned from the lava below. Uncontrollable fire... Just then, he had a flashback.

_Running._

_Burning._

_Beams falling. _

_Screaming._

_Crashing._

_Mom._

_Sammy. _

_Fire..._

Dean shook himself back, his breath choking out unevenly. "Dean? Dean?!" Gabriel and Crowley were saying, and Dean turned to them, expression scared as hell.

"I... I can't," he said softly, looking down at the fiery lava. He squeezed his eyes shut. "Now isn't the time for a panic attack, buddy," Gabriel said, "Hey! Look at me."

Dean opened his eyes, doing so. "You are _this_ close, to getting the one you care about. He's _right_ there. You can do this, Dean. You know you can do this."

The young man gazed back out over the bridge to the tall tower, and took a deep breath. He _could_ do this. Cas was waiting. He had to do this for him.

He set one foot out onto the rickety bridge. It swayed from his weight, and he accidentally dropped the map from his hands, watching it flutter down only to be devoured by the curling flames. He had to grab onto the ropes along the side to somewhat steady himself.

He looked back after a second, attempting a smile. "You comin'?"

Gabe grinned at the return of Dean's usual disposition. "Hells yeah. Let's light this candle!" Crowley simply nodded, a little too disturbed by what he was about to do to answer properly.

They began to make their way over. The bridge was just as shaky as it looked, and Crowley kept glancing down and shuddering. Just then, Gabriel shifted a little, and the black cat clutched the ropes for dear life.

"Don't DO that!" he growled at the Pegasus. Gabe turned back, smirking. "You mean... this?" He swayed the bridge a little. "AHGODBOLLOX yes, stoppit!" Crowley grabbed for his colt gun for protection, as if it would make a difference in their predicament. Gabriel just chuckled, keeping on.

Dean sucked in a breath. He wasn't that scared of heights- they didn't bother him as much as what was actually _under_ them, and what it would do to them if this stupid bridge ever broke.

He suddenly wondered something- where was this dragon?

He shook his head. Not the best idea to start thinking about a potential visit from a dragon when in the midst of crossing the most dangerous bridge in all of Far Far Away.

He banished any negative thoughts from his mind. All he could see now, was Castiel- his beautiful lips, his strong nose, angelic blue eyes... _and it didn't hurt that dude's manhood was larger than life,_ he smirked.

Dean grinned while absentmindedly thinking about the Prince's body. He hadn't really allowed himself indulge in thoughts like that before on this quest, because he didn't want to risk an awkward situation where they were, but now, mmm...the thought of what was waiting for him...

Cas was waiting for someone. Counting on someone. Losing hope in that someone, with every second that ticked by.

So Dean pushed on, bravery he never knew he had showing through. Funny- he always thought he would remain a brothel boy until he got laid off or something- now, he was living his own epic, (albeit fucking terrifying), actual adventure.

Meanwhile, Crowley was giving himself a pep talk.

"I, Fergus McCrowley, am going to die," he told himself, "I am going to fall off a bridge and burn to death in a pit of molten magma. I asked to join the quest- I bloody _asked _for this… but I never asked for execution. I don't know if I have nine lives to spare, and I certainly don't fancy finding out! Bloody hell, they don't come much stupider than this."

Gabriel threatened to rock the bridge again if he didn't shut up, but the cat just kept on going.

"This is absurd! After all I've been through my entire short life, and now, this is how it all ends," Crowley muttered, "This is goodbye, cruel world. This is-" "Hey!" Dean cut him off sharply, his voice loud and commanding, and Crowley looked down. He was one step away from the other side.

"Ah," he said, stepping onto the land. "That'll do, Crowley," Dean smirked, patting him, "That'll do." Crowley hissed at him, but looked relieved nonetheless to be on land again.

"So," Gabriel said, "The plan is to cross this horrid, sizzling hellhole to get to that castle over there?" Dean squinted through the steam. "Yup." "Well. Great plan. Let's go."

They made their way across, avoiding potholes of lava, and finally came to a huge, stone castle. It was crumbling, and was extremely tall- it must have been at least a hundred feet high.

_Boy,_ Dean thought, _When they exile a prince, they do it right._

The smoke had slightly cleared around them, so the air was a little more clear over by the castle. There was still no sign of the dragon.

"We'll stand guard and watch out for anything while you rescue the damsel in distress, kay pal?" Gabe asked, shooting him a wink. Dean nodded.

As Gabriel watched him go, he gazed down at his leaking grace, a trace of worry spreading through him. He wasn't doing too well, and he knew it. His grace was almost gone... he didn't know what to do.

It wasn't like he would die if he lost it all, if you were looking to find a silver lining of some sort- so as much as he loved to rub it in people's faces that he was more powerful than them, he didn't know what he would do without his mojo. A regular horse...

By now, he could barely do anything magical, let alone get by. He had a finite amount of divine grace left in him, he found in grim realization.

Dean walked through the castle to the entrance of the stairs to the tower. As he went along, he noticed a couple of old bones strewn about the place... some even full skeletons, still bearing old, tarnished metal armor, and others, just half skulls or small remnants.

There were shadows permanently burned into the stone walls of the place, made from the outlines of past intruders, years dead. Must have been from the fire breathing dragon, Dean thought, and shuddered. Wherever the thing was, he hoped it remained dormant and sleeping, cause he sure never wanted to meet it.

Before he approached the first step, he looked around. There might be some crazy trap or some shit up there to prevent people from going up, he thought, so he grabbed a knight's helmet from a skeleton a few feet away, fitting it over his head and letting the metal grate drop over his face.

He straightened out his white button up and brown pants, and suddenly felt under-dressed- he strangely felt as if he should be wearing a three piece suit to save his Prince.

_Don't get ahead of yourself,_ he thought, _you're rescuing his ass- that's damn well enough._

He started up the many, many stone steps, avoiding the ones that were cracked or crumbling.

* * *

Up in the tower, completely oblivious to what was happening around him, Cas sat with his legs crossed over themselves on the bed.

Then he thought of something funny. He began to imagine his happily ever after, and what it could have possibly looked like...

* * *

Dean took the stairs two at a time. He couldn't wait to get to the tower. He was so close- after days of this physically dilapidating quest, Cas was finally within his reach.

He ran up the stairs, getting dizzy. It was a circular twist up, and Dean's head was spinning. _But he didn't care._ He would keep running to get to Cas as soon as possible.

* * *

Cas sat, dreamily imagining Dean in a shameless fantasy, riding a horse, fighting through scary opposition and roadblocks to get to him... he imagined Dean looking rugged and masculine, covered in dirt and sweat, clenching that jaw and flexing those toned muscles. Then he would come up to the tower after slaying the dragon...

* * *

Dean gunned it up those stairs, feeling his stomach churn as everything went by in a blur. Why are there so many damn stairs? he thought to himself, but he kept going. Cas... he would be there with Cas in a few more moments...

He grinned triumphantly as he caught a glimpse of a wooden door at the top. _Yes... finally! Almost there..._

* * *

Cas imagined that the door would open slowly, revealing a chivalrous Dean, looking gorgeous and torn up and smiling his charming smile, then he would hold out a gentle hand.

Cas would take it, and they would kiss passionately, a kiss long awaited.

Their eyes would lock, and then their lips would connect, a soft, romantic gesture of their unremitting love for each other. Dean would gracefully sweep Cas off of his feet, and kiss him all over as he carried him out-

***BAM!***

The loud noise startled the Prince, and he jumped slightly as he looked over at the door.

"Oh," he muttered, "You can just use the hatch to send in the food," he deadpanned, assuming it was the stone knight. He rolled his eyes, reality snatching him back.

Just then, in one crashing swoop, the door broke down, wood splintering everywhere. "Son of a bitch!" a voice said, "Those stairs, man! No wonder no one makes it up here, god dammit!"

Cas cried out in alarm, scrambling up on his bed. He peered cautiously through the dust, and his eyes widened as he made out the figure. "Dean?!"

Dean looked up, a smile flickering over his face as his eyes met the Prince's. "Castiel," he murmured, the name ghosting over his lips.

After a second of nonsensical gaping, Cas compulsively rushed forward, throwing his arms around Dean and slamming their lips together. The kiss was a hot, sloppy, needy one, not at all what Cas had previously imagined as the 'soft, romantic gesture.' But he didn't care. This was better. This was real. This was… one hell of a true love's kiss.

They mumbled words, almost incomprehensible, to each other, as they planted kisses all over each other's lips. "Cas... oh, Cas... I missed you so much..." "Dean, I thought you forgot about me..." "How could I forget you, Cas? You changed my whole friggin' world..." "Oh, Dean, I love you..."

Dean looked at him, and smiled, cupping Cas' cheeks. In a second, the mood changed between them, and Dean deepened the kiss. He had forgotten just how horny he'd been, since he'd gone days upon days without getting any- like, any at all- and his cock emphasized this by giving an excited twitch.

Cas' pupils dilated a little, and hungrily continued to ravish Dean's mouth.

"Dean," Cas moaned quietly, trailing back toward the bed. "Cas... h-how many times did you touch yourself while thinking about me on this bed?" he asked softly, running his lips over Cas' neck. "Only once," the Prince recalled, "More than anything, after I had gotten off, and gotten the urge out of my system, it just hurt to think about you... to think that you weren't coming."

Dean looked at him. "I tried to come as fast as I could..." Cas stared back at him, giving the first true smile he had let out in days. "Would you like to do that again, Dean?"

When Dean realized what Cas was inferring, his eyelids drooped, his dick now straining against his pants. It made him so hard, being pressed down into the same sheets that Cas had once come all over.

"Please take me, Castiel," Dean mumbled, and Cas rolled over on the bed, shifting on top of the other man. Dean groaned, wanting this more than anything he had ever wanted. "Oh, fuck, Cas..." he muttered, grinding his hips up against Cas' own growing erection.

Suddenly, Castiel remembered something, drawing away a little to look at Dean. "You know... I thought... if you ever did remember me... I thought you would be angry that I lied to you."

Dean huffed. "I was. I was damn furious. _Emmanuel_," he said, rolling his eyes. Cas bit his lip. "-But after a long session of self-loathing and heated internal debate, my feelings won out. I knew _you_ were my happily ever after... Prince Castiel, most handsome man in the kingdom," Dean said playfully, rolling his tongue.

Cas laughed, blushing. He hadn't seen Dean smile like that, ever. At the brothel, he had of course expressed a natural attraction to Cas, but his smile had been forced, as if burdened with other things. Now, it was free, and Dean looked blissfully... happy.

He grinned, and they kissed again, feeling the weight of each other's bodies pressed together again. The kiss began to progress, and Cas reached between Dean's legs to touch him again-

**"DRAGON!" **

The young men's heads shot up, surprised and disoriented. Dean frowned. "What?" "Wha... did you hear, what I just heard?" "Uh..."

"**DRAAAAAGOOOOONNN!"**


	12. Necromancer Dragon!

Dean and Cas looked at each other, and jumped off the bed, Dean going toward the stairs. "Wait- Dean!" Cas cried, and Dean grabbed him by his slender wrist. "Come on! We have to go!"

They ran down the twisting stairs, hearing, in the distance, the faint shouts and screams of Crowley and Gabriel. Cas was a little confused as to who the shouts were coming from, but shrugged it off momentarily.

"Dean!" Cas repeated, a little louder this time, "You didn't kill the dragon?!" Dean turned back, a horrified and dumbstruck expression upon his face. "Was I supposed to?!"

They were cut off by a loud, almost earsplitting roar, which shook the tower to the point of dust falling from the ceiling.

"Come on!" Dean said, shielding a protective arm around Castiel as they hurried down, and he fitted the helmet he had previously been wearing over Cas' head to further protect him.

They passed a stray skeleton strewn along the stairs, and Cas shuddered, before Dean grabbed the sword that accompanied it. It was surprisingly sharp, which must have meant that the guy who it had belonged to before hadn't had much time to use it before getting smoked.

_Real encouraging_, Dean thought to himself, and kept a tight grip on Cas' wrist as they ran.

They finally made it to the ground, where Gabriel and Crowley were running toward them. "Move your asses, fuck-buddies! We've got a necromancer dragon _hot_ on our trail, and he doesn't look like he wants a conversation!" Gabe said, and stopped for a second. "Huh- so this is him, eh? Not bad, not bad."

Cas rubbed his forehead, and Dean looked around. "Alright. Let's get a move on."

They started to run back the way they came, when a huge blast of sizzling fire fried their path and stopped them in their tracks. "Shit," Dean breathed, and Cas gulped underneath his helmet, only able to see through the narrow slits of it.

"Run!" Gabe called, and they all ran together a different way, to get out of the castle, but just then, the most terrifying, intimidating looking dragon stepped out right in front of them.

It almost seemed to grin, its nostrils emitting smoke from his fiery breath. "Lucifer," Cas whispered, and Dean turned back to the dragon.

"Hi there," he gulped, and Lucifer chuckled at him. "The hell are you _doing?"_ Crowley hissed, and Dean cleared his throat. "Nice day out here, isn't it?!" Lucifer seemed to scoff, and he slammed a foot down right in front of them, getting closer as if to strike.

Dean quickly drew his sword in fear.

"Y-you want him?!" Dean shouted up, swallowing his fear, "You'll have to go through me!" The charcoal black dragon let out a deep chuckle. "You think I want the prince? Oh no- I'm here to prevent you from taking him, coward."

Dean scowled. "Great." Lucifer stepped closer, and Dean could see the fire collecting in the back of its throat as it opened its mouth.

"SHIT!" he shouted again, and covered Cas as they dodged out of the way. Gabriel and Crowley dodged the other way, and the dragon's fire blew past them. The cat let out a little yelp as he put out a tiny flame crawling up his tail.

Dean snapped back up, and in a flash of spur-of-the-moment stupidity, he suddenly charged toward Lucifer, giving a battle cry. Without a moment to think about what he was about to do, he speared his sword into the dragon, swinging himself up onto its huge back. The other three immediately went to help.

Lucifer threw back his head, and roared, and Dean had to grip the sword for dear life as he swung around on its back. He tried to climb the scales, as Gabriel and Crowley fended off on the ground.

Castiel looked around frantically, and caught sight of another, longer sword that could help. He quickly ran to it, grabbed it, and hurtled it up toward the dragon. "DEAN!" he called, and the young man climbing the violently bucking dragon turned just in time.

He grabbed the sword in midair, and brought it down into Lucifer's back, making the dragon roar again. It stumbled a little, thick red oozing out, and Dean stuttered at what he realized he was doing, slaying a friggin' dragon.

He swung around, then let go of the sword, crashing down to the ground, where he picked up the old sword that he had pulled out of the scales, holding it in offense position toward the swaying dragon.

He slashed, two, three times, and Lucifer looked as if he was going to collapse. In a mild state of shock and possible psychosis, Dean stared down at his hands, wondering how the hell he just did that. Then he looked up again.

"That's what you get for messing with my Prince, you _dick_!" he called up. Lucifer looked down, and growled, opening his mouth.

From the other side of the dragon, the three's eyes widened, seeing what the dragon was about to do, but they could do nothing as they watched helplessly. Lucifer let out an angry billow of smoke and flame, whipping his sharp, giant tail with a sickening crack, and knocked Dean clean off his feet into the stone wall.

The only sounds that could be heard as the moment moved in seemingly slow-motion, were the smack of Dean hitting the wall, and Castiel's faint cry of, "_NO!_"

Cas tried to run over to Dean, but Crowley and Gabriel held him back, as the dragon looked as if it were going to try again, but it swayed a little more, falling and slipping backward into the mote. With a hiss and excessive puffs of steam, Lucifer was gone.

The two let the Prince go, and Cas ripped off the helmet he was wearing, letting it clatter to the ground as he ran and knelt by Dean, who could barely even cough as he lay, scratched and bloodied. It was a miracle his face had avoided the blow of fire, but the ends of his hair and his clothing were singed, charred smoke rising from them.

His left eye was puffy and bruised, and blood trickled over his lower lip as Dean sputtered weakly. Cas' eyes were wide and desperate, his hands hovering over Dean, unsure of where to place them. "Dean... Dean, no..." Castiel whispered, finally deciding on lacing their fingers together.

"Agh..." the young man murmured, and choked a little, blood flowing a little easier now.

"Dean," Cas repeated, hot tears springing to his eyes. A dreadful sense of sick worry was accumulating in his stomach, and he held Dean's hand. "Dean, you're okay. You're going to be okay."

Dean lay back a little, looking up at Cas through his horribly injured face. The Prince looked so beautiful...

"Cas," he said, his voice cracking and just above a whisper, "You're free... you're free from the tower now..." Cas swallowed, shaking his head feverishly.

"Dean, I don't want to be free if I can't be with you..." Dean huffed a little, and let out a small smile, his white teeth stained in the lines with blood. "Fucking fate, huh?" he asked, attempting a coarse laugh, "Just when you thought you've won... god damn fate has to screw it all up." Cas closed his eyes, and Dean opened his mouth, pausing.

"I love you, Castiel," he said, and squeezed the Prince's hand, as if to assure him.

Cas let a tear roll down his cheek. "I love you too, Dean. But... but this isn't the last time you'll hear that, because we're going to get married, and we'll be together for the rest of our lives, and we'll tell each other every day, and... and..." he faltered as he looked down at him.

From a few steps behind, Crowley and Gabe were tearing up as well, Crowley dragging his paw across his wet eyes. Dean gave one last little smile, and used the last of his strength to move up and kiss Cas, despite the shooting pain through his broken body.

Cas kissed back, tears rolling down his face as he cried. Dean gazed, one last time, up at Cas. He felt... angry. That he had come this far, and gone through so much... only to get to Cas, feel his happiness, and then, just... die. Like his family. It wasn't fair.

But there was no use cursing the inevitable. Dean knew what it had come to now, and at least he had died saving his prince.

"Hey, now... don't cry," he whispered, "The tears are blurring your beautiful blue eyes, man," he smiled, and ran the pad of his thumb along Cas' cheeks, wiping the tears away.

Cas sobbed as he held Dean close in his arms, and a second later, Cas could no longer feel Dean's breath on his shoulder, and he could no longer feel the beat of his heart beneath him. His sobs became hysteric, and he shook Dean carefully. "Dean?! Dean! Wake up... you'll... you'll be alright...please... Dean..."

The cat went up, giving a sniffle, and took Cas' arm, guiding him back a little.

Now, Crowley was not one for conforming to societal authority, or for feelings of sentiment at all, but he was sad too, as they had grown quite close to Dean, and he decided to respect the Prince's title as he comforted him. "I think he's gone, your Highness."

Cas let out a little cry, and he wiped his eyes, staring at Dean's limp body, the man that he loved so much. His head was spinning- this couldn't be happening... not after everything.

Gabriel was quiet through all of this. He was looking at Dean, one single decision brewing in his mind.

The other two just assumed he was too shocked to speak, so they didn't talk. Gabriel took a deep breath, thinking about his grace. He had hardly any left... but he had just enough to do what he was about to do.

"Coming through," he mumbled quietly, and pushed between the others, coming to Dean. He then lifted his front hooves, and placed them on the man's chest. Gabriel's eyes shone a bright colour of turquoise, and he heard Crowley faintly say, "But you'll lose all of it!"

Gabe knew. He knew he would lose his enchantment if he used up the last of his grace. But he couldn't just let his friend die like this, after everything these two meatheads had going together.

He felt the power coursing through him, and reveled in the last time he would ever feel that. The power then seeped into Dean, making him glow lightly with a golden tinge. Gabriel felt his knees shake, and after a second, he stumbled back, fully weakened and almost to the point of passing out.

The three watched as Dean was surrounded by the golden glow, making him invisible through the sheen for a moment, then they heard a sharp gasp as the glow disappeared.

Their eyes widened as Dean sat up, clothed in his previous attire, only these good as new, his hair restored to its normal colour and his face a bright, smiling beam. Cas breathed out. "Dean!"

Dean was a little dumbfounded, and for a second, he looked over to Gabriel. His coat was no longer a brilliant gold, and his wings were gone- he had faded to a chestnut brown. The horse gave him a little nod with a smirk, and Dean knew suddenly, what had happened.

His mouth opened a little, and though he was too overwhelmed at present to find the words to thank the former Pegasus, Gabriel knew. Dean turned back to Cas, and locked their lips, connecting again as Cas breathed against Dean's mouth.

"That was the scariest moment of my life," Cas muttered softly. "_Your_ life?" Dean laughed, "I'm the one who died!" Cas blushed a little, and they kissed again.

Gabriel sighed contentedly, and turned to Crowley. "You were crying." "Was not!" "Crybaby." "I beg your pardon-" "It was pathetic, really." "Oh, like you weren't at least _affected_." "I was too busy contemplating my transition in becoming a non-celestial being, like you boring things." Crowley rolled his eyes.

"C-Cas," Dean said, unsteadily as he shook himself off and assumed Cas' former position kneeling, "Will you marry me?"

Cas gave an ecstatic laugh, and thrust his arms around Dean. "Yes," he whispered, "Of course." And Dean hugged him back.

* * *

Despite the warmth of rescuing Cas, they all had to face the reality of the tough return they would have to make. They began to contemplate their journey back- the ground was split in different places, showing lava through them, and when they made it to the bridge again, they saw Crowley swallow.

"Um... did we miss an elevator or something on the way in that we could possibly use now?" "Do you think one just magically rose from the ashes while we were fighting?" Gabriel snarked.

Cas peered over the edge. "We have to hurry. This place is only kept together by the life force of the necromancer. Now that Lucifer is dead, Dragon's Keep will fall."

They all quickly took to walking across the bridge, and as if on cue, the whole place shook, earthquakes rumbling through as the lava began to bubble in warning. The bridge swung precariously, and Gabriel turned back worriedly. "Keep moving."

They went across, swiftly almost making it with surprising ease, but just as the last two were crossing to land, the other side of the bridge broke.

Cas gasped. "RUN!" he shouted, and Crowley ran in front of him. The cat jumped to safety, but as Cas was about to make it, the ground beneath him slipped.

The Prince flailed a little, but just in time, Dean's hand grabbed onto his. "Hold on!" he yelled loudly over the sound of cracking earth. Cas' hand began to slip, the Prince glancing at Dean in panic, but Dean clenched his jaw, gripping him with all his might. "No. I'm not losing you, not after all this." And he hoisted Castiel back up.

"Whew!" Gabriel said, "Hurry up!"

They ran until they made it to safety, Dragon's Keep now a mess of broken ground and running lava behind them. Castiel's breath steadied out, and the four collapsed, staring up at the sky, now blue, since they had escaped the smoke.

Cas began to smile, feeling beyond happy as he realized again that he was out.

"Wow," Crowley muttered. "Yeah," Dean breathed. "That was..." Cas murmured. "Fun!" Gabe finished with a grin, and they all looked at him weirdly.

"I know a way back to the castle," Castiel said breathlessly, "An easier way, where we can avoid the swamps and the Enchanted Orchard. I was taken the way you most likely travelled on your way to me, but I heard them discussing the alternate route back."

Dean smirked. "That's real good, seeing as the map is ash now." Cas looked back at him, and out of the sheer miracle of the moment, Dean leaned in and kissed him again, beyond happy that Cas was with them now.

After a few more minutes of simply catching their breath, and silently reflecting on the sheer impossibilities and miracles that had taken place within the last fifteen minutes, they started their trek back.

"So," Gabe said conversationally to the Prince, "We've heard a lot about you from your lovesick BF over here-" Cas blushed, and looked over to an equally blushing Dean, "-So why don't you tell us more about yourself?"

Cas nodded as they walked. "Well, I was born into royalty, to my two parents, King Zachariah and Queen Naomi..."

They talked in depth along their way, and Dean learned so much about Cas from it, until the day reached late afternoon, and it was time to start settling in for a much needed rest.

Both of the young men had something on their minds. Dean wanted to tell Cas about what happened to his parents, and why he had met him at such a racy place as the Poison Apple in the first place, and Castiel wanted to tell Dean about his curse.

But... they were both scared. Cas was ashamed of his secrets... and in a way, so was Dean.

They all sat around a campfire, the comforting light crackling as the embers floated up to the orange sky. Cas began to worry about nightfall.


	13. Secrets

"Well," Gabriel said, "That was probably the most eventful day of my life. I'm pretty tired after losing my centuries-old grace. I don't know about you guys, but think I'll hit the sack early." "Yeah, me too," Crowley added, looking pointedly between Dean and Castiel.

Castiel readjusted himself in his seat on the wooden log, and Dean cleared his throat. It was hard to remember they hardly knew much about each other truly. The ecstasy from earlier had since faded slightly, and more awkward, vulnerable moments awaited the two. The two animals seemed to know that.

Cas opened his mouth to say something, but Dean suddenly spoke first. "Cas- I need to tell you about me. Okay? I need to tell you about why we met, and why I was working at that place." Cas nodded.

"My family," Dean said, taking a deep breath, "Died when I was fifteen. In a house fire, started by Farquad's army of douchebags... It was horrible… I couldn't save them, and I shouldn't have been the one to escape. It should have been little Sammy. He was my brother."

He bit his lip. He would not cry- not now. He could do this. "Anyway… w-when they died, I didn't know where to go. I ran- and found this place-" "The Poison Apple," Castiel intervened softly, nodding.

Dean looked up, and nodded as well. "Yeah. And the stepsisters, they took me in- they let me work, sometimes stay the night, even though the job usually required it anyway," he huffed with a tinge of sadness behind his eyes. Cas looked at him with quiet understanding, and placed his hand gingerly over Dean's.

Dean continued. "The thing was, they gave me a life, right? They gave me something when no one else was there for me, and yeah, it was a pretty shitty gig, but I got used to it, you know? I even enjoyed it sometimes." Cas looked at him, and Dean swallowed.

"I got used to being used. Selling myself for money, to earn my keep. A few gold pieces would go to the sisters, and went into up keeping the place, but they let me keep a lot of it. I didn't know any different, so I thought it was the best I could do." He laughed, wiping his eyes as he looked down. "Hell, I was good at it, too, everyone knew that."

Cas hated to see Dean cry, but he knew it was hard for the young man, who had suppressed all this for his whole life, to finally open up about it.

"And then you came along," Dean sniffed, trying to hold back any further tears, "And you changed everything, man! You were so… I don't know… _nice_ to me. You _respected_ me. You saw me as a person! And I hadn't felt like I was worth shit since before my family became burnt corpses!"

Cas was frozen in silence. He was looking at Dean, but didn't dare speak as he shook his head. "I wish I was stronger. I do. I wish I could just say, fuck the past, I don't care, but I can't forget what I was… I didn't think much of it at the time, but I just wish I was stronger now."

Castiel raised his eyebrows kindly. "Dean… how do you think you got through this quest? You journeyed for days across the kingdom, and saved me from a tower. You don't think that's strong?" Dean looked up, and sniffed again.

He leaned in, and Cas placed a small, loving kiss on Dean's lips. "If it's worth anything, Dean Winchester…" he whispered, "You're the strongest man I know. Never doubt that." Dean gazed back at him, letting Cas lace his fingers through his short hair in a sweet gesture of affection.

Just then, Cas' eyes darted past Dean, and they clouded over suddenly. "I… I have to, um…" he stuttered, losing all of his composure. Dean frowned, looking behind him. All that was in view was the expanse of woods, and the sun going down over the hill.

"What is it? You okay?" Dean asked. Castiel began to panic about the curse. He was going to tell Dean, he _was_, but… he was so scared. And he felt guilty as all hell that he wasn't going to stay, and let Dean see who he really was- after Dean had just told him everything there was to tell about himself.

But he got up clumsily, tripping over himself. "I'm… very tired, Dean. Do you think I could sleep in private tonight? Because… I feel if I sleep with you, well… I wouldn't get much sleep," he shrugged with a tiny wink, opting for the sexual excuse.

Dean nodded slowly, looking slightly disappointed. "Uh, whatever you need, man. I think there's a little cave over there, by those trees. It looks dark, probably a good place to crash-" "Thank you, Dean," Cas said quickly, giving a short smile before going off in that direction.

The golden haired man was left, curious and dumbfounded, sitting out by the dying campfire as the darkness enveloped the sky.

Cas sat in the dark cave, alone. He hated himself for keeping this secret- and he knew he couldn't keep it for much longer. He felt his wings appear behind him, dimly illuminating the space he was in. He would tell Dean... he would tell him on their wedding night.

* * *

The sun rose, the forest seeming much brighter than it did when the three were on their initial way. Hell, life seemed brighter, now that Dean had Castiel.

Dean got up, and decided to go find Cas in the cave. Then he found Cas gone. "Uh... Castiel?!" he called. A automatic pang of worry took him over, and Crowley and Gabe roused behind him.

"Did the Prince run off again?" Crowley mumbled, and they all heard a voice behind them, coming out of the woods. "Run off?" Cas smiled, "You don't really think I would do that, do you?" He was carrying a basket of small, blue eggs.

"Breakfast," he commented, nodding toward the eggs, and Dean grinned as they all gathered to eat. It was as if they were domestic already.

"Y'know, for someone who doesn't get out much... you sure know your way around an adventure," he smirked. Cas laughed, a merry sound that made Dean swoon, "I suppose. Though, despite my undying thirst for one not two weeks ago, I'm thoroughly ready to get back to the comforts of the kingdom."

Dean stiffened a little at this. "Uh... Cas?" Cas looked over cheerily. "Yes, Dean?" First of all, Dean was wondering why the sudden mood change had occurred since last night's... whatever that was, and also, he had his doubts about their return. He decided to skip the mood part.

"Um, about the kingdom... are they really gonna go for a guy like me?" Cas shrugged a little. "Dean, my parents..." he sighed, rephrasing his response, "It may take some... or, possibly extensive, convincing, since they sort of... _know _about you," he finished, rubbing his neck sheepishly.

Dean raised his eyebrows. "You told your parents you slept around at a brothel?!" Cas suddenly glared back. "I didn't 'sleep around.' I slept with _you_. And no, I didn't tell them. How they know is irrelevant. But I'm prepared to stand up to anything they wish to say about us being together."

Dean smiled back. "Good- cause I won't lose you again." Cas blushed, and tended to the eggs on the fire.

It turned out Castiel's way back was _way_ faster than their way of getting to the Keep. The grand, white castle was already in sight within the next few hours, and Dean was beginning to get nervous butterflies.

"Uhh... I don't know if I can do this," he mumbled, and Cas put a hand around his waist. "_We_ can do this." The Prince then went to plant a kiss on Dean's cheek, when Dean sneakily turned just in time to land the kiss on his lips.

Cas' eyes went wide, but softened to crinkle at the corners as he kissed back in full. Cas started mingling their tongues, and a light pink spread across Dean's cheeks as Gabriel whistled. "Gettin' freak-ay!" the horse laughed, and Dean ripped away to send him a death glare, basically conveying a, 'shut-the-hell-up-or-I-will-murder-you' look.

They found the path into the village, and Dean gulped, finding confidence only in Cas' tight grip on his hand.


	14. Back In Town

Gabriel and Crowley followed close behind, Crowley looking around nervously. "This is weird," he mumbled, and Dean chuckled. "That's exactly what I said when I was looking to buy a map around here."

Castiel was the most slowly becoming the most confident of them all as they walked, mostly driven by anger for his family for condemning him to such a fate. He was beyond furious- what kind of family locks their own son up in a tower for some scandal?!

_Apparently, Zachariah,_ Cas thought with a weary huff.

They made it to the gates of the castle, and Thelonius stood guard there, at attention. "Uhhh…. Your Highness?" "Thelonius, let me in." "Uhhh, I don't know if the king-" "_I_ will be your King soon, so I suggest your abide my wishes."

Dean clenched his lips, unable to avoid the thought of how stupidly arousing the commanding tone of Cas' voice just was.

The guard brought his attention to Dean, and Cas realized the truth behind his own words. He would be getting married after all… and his birthday was in three days.

He broke out in a grin, and Thelonius did not stop him as the four walked into the castle, though he did tilt his head in a puzzled expression beneath his headpiece as he saw the two animals. "Uh, your Highness, sir?!" Thelonius asked, "What about these two?"

Cas turned, and smiled. "They're with us."

Gabriel let out a huff as Crowley slung himself up onto his back. "That's right. We're with the Prince. Dickwad."

Thelonius scratched his head.

Castiel felt like he was back in his element as they entered the place, white marble walls towering around them. He was home again.

"Dude, I'm seriously second guessing this," Dean muttered, tilting his head back to take in the huge castle around him, "I lived in a _brothel_. How the hell am I gonna live in a place like this?!"

"Dean," Castiel said, "Calm down. I live here. As of now… so do you. You'll love it once I show you around," he said in comforting assurance with a lower tone of voice, and Dean had to smile, imagining that. He gazed around with a renewed interest.

_Maybe we'll make out there…. We could bang on that thing, whatever that is… we'll make out more over there by that statue fountain-_

"Castiel?"

They all turned to see Zachariah standing with Naomi by the top of the grand staircase, unreadable expressions upon their faces. Dean felt a garbled pit of worry in his stomach, and he willed himself not to kick into another full blown panic attack.

Cas looked up. "Mother. Father."

He was expecting a, "_But… how_?!" or maybe even a call for the guards, but Zachariah just descended, looking down at him. Cas began to get uneasy, and they came right down to them.

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally shifted his gaze to behind his son, where Dean was standing, where he was keeping his mouth shut so as not to explode and start cursing this heartless bastard out for hurting Cas.

Zachariah narrowed his eyes over at Dean, and his lips moved. "Do you have something to say?" he asked. Dean couldn't tell if it was a snappy question, or if it was just curiosity. He tried with everything he had to keep quiet, but with an invitation like that, he couldn't help letting loose on the smug king.

"How could you?! He's your _son_! What kind of cold-blooded douchebag leaves his son in a tower just because he wanted to have a life?! In my opinion, you don't even deserve him as a son- because he is _nothing _like you. He is honorable, and sweet, and dammit... you don't deserve him."

Behind Zach, Naomi looked down, and Zach stayed silent… until:

"You're right."

Dean closed his mouth, and his frown lines disappeared. "Wait, what?" "What?" Gabriel repeated behind him, and Cas looked down at the horse.

Zachariah studied Dean. "Step forward, please." Dean was about to sputter that he wasn't doing jack squat of what he told him to, but Cas nudged him. "Dean," he murmured, and Dean sighed, doing so only for the Prince.

Zach looked at him, as if scrutinizing every detail. "You… weren't supposed to rescue him," the king mumbled quietly, as if thoughtful about something. Dean raised his eyebrows. "_No_, really, chuckles?! You put him up in a tower guarded by a fire breathing dragon! I'd say I wasn't _supposed_ to! And you want to know something? I DIED doing it!"

Zachariah frowned in confusion, and Crowley grimaced, pulling on Dean's boot to be quiet and not insult the most powerful figurehead in the kingdom anymore. There was a silence, and Zach turned to Cas.

"Castiel- I didn't intend to keep you there forever." Cas was about to reply to this in incredulity, when an amused smile broke out on Zach's face, and the four of them frowned. "It's the oldest trick in the book, son!" he said, chuckling nervously, "Although, _you_ kind of screwed it up," he added, looking at Dean.

"Uhhh… care to explain?!" Castiel asked, beginning to get angry.

"We wanted you to get married. You didn't want to get married. If the kingdom knew you were locked up, _someone_ was bound to save you! Someone noble. My plan was to show you that your love for this… _Dean_, wasn't true. I was determined to show you that since he got _paid _for showing affection, you weren't any different from his other clients. I thought you were too naive to see that. I wanted you to see that it was one sided, that he didn't care about you, and you would see that with your own eyes when he wouldn't come for you."

Cas glared.

"But evidently," Zach sighed, "He _did_ come for you. And while that messed up any and every chance of Castiel marrying someone of high society… he's still got someone, at the very least."

Dean was speechless. "W-wait… so… you're not gonna throw me out?" Zach gave him a slightly displeased, but weirdly respectful glance. "No, I'm not going to '_throw you out_.' You saved Castiel, despite your past, and… you proved me wrong. For some reason, Castiel loves you, so to carry on the tradition of this kingdom- you have my blessing."

"And mine," Naomi said, smiling a little as she came forward as well.

Dean opened, then closed his mouth. Cas turned to him, forgetting momentarily how angry he was with his parents. He smiled at Dean, and Dean gave an extremely shocked, lopsided grin back.

Dean would have to get used to living in a place like this, a lifestyle like this so different than before, and most of all, living with someone like Zachariah, arrogant guy that he was. But everything would turn out okay, because Dean had his Prince.

* * *

The wedding happened in two days time, just in time for Castiel's birthday.

It was a day hugely anticipated by the entire kingdom- and kingdoms afar that received word.

As promised, the entire extended family showed up to attend the ceremony, and despite his excitement to finally be together with Dean, officially, Cas was a little bit nervous… because as much as he'd have liked to keep it at the back of his mind today, he knew he would have to let Dean see him tonight… let him see everything.

It unnerved him, but all the while, maybe he was over thinking this. He just felt bad… if Dean didn't love him anymore after he saw his flaws, it wasn't like he could just leave after getting married.

_Curse Rowena,_ he thought, _wherever she is._

It was early morning as he contemplated all this, birds and palace hands helping and fitting him into everything. He had the white suit on with the gold trim, and as he looked at himself in the mirror, for once he liked what he saw.

He couldn't wait to see how gorgeous Dean looked.

On the west side of the castle, Dean was being fitted into his own suit. It was also a creamy white, with the same gold trim in complimentary spots to match perfectly with Castiel's outfit. He squirmed a little bit, finding that he obviously wasn't used to wearing stuff like this, but imagining how beautiful Cas would look held him over.

It made him anxious- that night would be amazing. But... what if it reminded him of his old job? What if it what traumatic for him when it finally did happen? It could bring back the fear of his self worth...

Due to the pressure of the situation, he started to doubt himself, unwanted thoughts swirling in his head. _What if I mess up? What if I blow the one chance I have at a happy ending? Maybe I don't deserve a happy ending... I don't belong here, and everyone knows it... what am I doing? _

He thought back to his family, feeling, in some way, that he was betraying them by becoming someone so _big_. Like they were dead, and he was having a great life without them. It made his stomach churn and he felt a little queasy, the self-loathing coming back like a dam breaking in his mind.

But then he remembered something he had forgotten for too long, what his mom had told him when he was just ten years old:

"_Dean," she had said, sitting him in her lap, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Dean had looked to her, and shrugged. "I don't know. Something cool. Like dad." Mary had smiled. "Well, that's not too far off. You're brave, just like your dad. He'll be going to fight soon- he's very brave for doing that." Dean had nodded. _

_"But I want you to remember something, my darling," she said, touching Dean's cheek, "Whatever you become... Whoever you become... be something that makes you happy every day. Because life isn't worth living if you're not happy." _

_Sam had come out then, flying like an airplane and catapulting onto the couch. "I wanna be an explorer!" he had exclaimed, wide-eyed, "I want to see the WHOLE kingdom one day!" Mary had smiled, bringing her other son in. "And that you will, Sam. If it makes you smile."_

Dean wiped away a small tear that threatened to roll further down his perfectly blotted and touched up cheek. He _was_ happy. And deep down, he knew that he was making his mom happy that way. He wanted this more than anything- so he also knew that he wouldn't mess up if he followed his heart.

He then smiled a little. He had sort of had Sammy's adventures for him, huh? His little brother would have loved going on that quest- he wondered with a laugh what Sam would have done if faced with the quicksand situation... or how he would react to meeting a talking cat and horse... or if he would have jumped through the poison brambles without hesitation.

He would probably have been a better adventurer than Dean, that's for sure.

Dean looked down, shuffling his feet. He would do this. He would do it for his family, and he would do it for himself.

The fairies then combed over his golden hair into a side part, but when Dean saw his reflection, he winced. "Yeeeah. Not gonna happen," he told the fairy that styled his hair, and back with his usual attitude, ran a hand through it, restoring it to its usual glorious unruly spike.

He winked suavely at his reflection, and nodded. "Let's do this."

There were thousands of people at the wedding, standing in the square looking up to the palace balcony, where Dean and Castiel were to be married.

Notable townsfolk attended, such as Pinocchio and Gepetto, the three blind mice, (though they were facing the wrong way), the big bad wolf, dressed in his pink Granny clothes, Gingie the gingerbread man and the Muffin Man, and the three pigs even did the catering, supplying bratwurst and beer from their newly opened restaurant on Main street.

Family stood to the sides of the large balcony, each person with one leg on the stair above. Crowley and Gabriel stood with them as well, newly knighted for their bravery along the way.

Cas stood by the alter, rubbing his palms on his jacket. It was happening. Dean was happening, and ugh- he couldn't contain his bursting emotions.

Just then, he recognized a chatty voice behind him, and turned in surprise to see his brother. "Balthazar," Cas said, and his brother turned. "It is... good to see you again." "My goodness, it is!" Balthazar smiled, coming over, "You're finally doing it, huh, little brother? Getting married. My god, I never thought I'd see it." Cas chuckled. "Neither did I."

There was some silence, and Balthazar put a hand on his brother's shoulder, squeezing lightly. "You know, I'm proud of you, Cassie." Cas looked up, curious as to why his brother was getting so sentimental. "Why?"

Balthazar looked off into the distance. "You found true love. And you're happy." Castiel smiled. "Thank you."

Suddenly, the trumpets sounded. An announcement was made, and everyone stood.

"_Announcing: Dean Winchester, soon to be Prince and King of Far Far Away!_"

Cas looked over.


	15. Happily Ever, Ever After

Everyone looked toward the doors to the palace, where a gold carpet had been rolled out.

Cas sucked in a breath, then Dean walked out, slowly, as if he had been practicing this forever, and made his way down. Castiel was speechless- Dean looked so handsome, his golden hair a nice reflection of the accented colors of the suit. Everything was so well tailored to fit Dean's build, his broad chest, wide-shouldered frame…

He walked up the stairs, and as he took one step, he stumbled a little, muttering under his breath, '_son of a bitch, damn shoes,_' and making Castiel grin despite the concern of formality.

Dean grinned back as he made it up to the alter, and he took Cas' hands.

"Hey," he murmured, blushing slightly. Cas smiled. "Dean. You look dazzling." Dean blushed even harder, and rubbed the back of his neck. "Alright, you sap. Let's get hitched."

Cas laughed a little, and they turned toward the one who would marry them, an older man with a grey beard and a marking of some sort on his arm. Castiel recognized him as Cain, one of the few wizards that lived in the Kingdom.

He began the ceremony. "Dearly beloved. We are gathered here today…"

Dean looked into Castiel's eyes, and they stared at each other. The blue orbs were angelic, and Dean wanted nothing more than to kiss him right there and then….

"You may say your vows," Cain nodded, stepping back for a moment.

Dean bit his lip. He wasn't one for organized romance, and well, he hadn't really prepared a speech, so he just spoke from the top of his head and winged it- like he'd done all his life.

"Prince Castiel- Cas… you're…" he looked down, "You're… perfect. I mean, that was the first thing I thought when I saw you. Among… other things," he noted, smirking a little, "Along with, ya know, you're really hot, you've got a great body, also accompanied by a rogue thought of 'hey, I am _not_ falling for this guy.' But… I was. And, I did. I know this sounds really lame, but…" he exhaled, "I never knew true happiness until I saw you," he said, real seriousness in his eyes, "Yeah, I'm screwed up. I know it. Yes, I'm a mess of unwanted, stupid feelings, and as much as I'd like to be that knight in shining armor for you… well, I guess my armor's a little tarnished," he chuckled, and Cas smiled at Dean's shyness.

"Listen, man… you and I… we've been through a lot. I even went through some... pretty unbelievable stuff to get where we are today," he smirked, winking over at Gabriel, "And though our journey wasn't all _together_, we're together now, and that makes all of this shit worth it," he said, and a rousing mumble went through the crowd at Dean's use of words. In the audience, Zachariah slapped his palm to his forehead.

Cas blushed, looking down a bit, and Dean laughed. "Oops. Well, what the hell? I'm in love. Love makes people really, really stupid. I never thought I would be reciting vows in front of thousands of people, that's for sure. But… wow. I am. And… I'm actually standing here, in front of the nicest… sexiest," he added, wiggling his eyebrows, "Most amazing person I've ever known. So Castiel- I promise to love you forever, and I am forever yours to do with as you please." He leaned in. "And that could mean more than one thing, hot stuff."

Cas grinned, and quickly cleared his throat, trying to ignore the warmth spreading in his stomach. He opened his mouth… but the words didn't come out. He looked at the man in front of him, and suddenly forgot everything he was about to say. "Dean-" he said, speaking from nothing but his heart, "I love you."

And they embraced, Cas letting a single tear of joy roll down his face. Dean held him close, and they both parted after a minute. The minister smiled. "You may kiss the groom."

Cas put a hand behind Dean's head, and drew him to his lips, pressing them together. The crowd cheered. Sparks seemed to fly between them, and while Dean thought that was incredibly cheesy to think, he knew it was kinda true- in this instance anyway.

"I now pronounce you, husbands and Kings of Far Far Away." Cain took the shiny golden crown off the pillow, and placed it atop Castiel's head. Cas smiled, and leaned in to whisper to Dean. "Yours is coming soon- Zachariah thought my partner would be royalty already."

Dean laughed, and swept his new husband off of his feet. "I love you," he said, a saying that had been widely overused that day, but Dean didn't care. He did. He felt good. He had a whole new world now, with the love of his life. And he would never have to go back to the Poison Apple, or his worst fears, again.

* * *

The sunlight was fading as the celebrations roared. The people of Far Far Away were having the time of their lives, celebrating not only the return of Castiel, but their new Kings.

"Well," Dean smiled contentedly, sitting down on the edge of the bed, "You look... hot," he said, for lack of a new word. Cas smiled, but there was some concern behind it, and Dean noticed that.

"What?" he asked when Cas didn't join him on the bed.

Cas turned, looking out the window. "Dean..." he started, then sighed. If he wanted to leave, Cas wouldn't put it past him. That was all there was to it.

His husband's silence was beginning to worry Dean. "_What_, Cas? What, can you not get it up now or something?" Cas blushed, turning around again. "No, it's not that. Believe me," he added, giving a small smirk as he regarded Dean on the bed, "It's just... kind of the opposite..."

Dean processed this. "Uh... okay... and how is that a problem? It's our wedding night! Translation: the night we bang until sun-up, no worries, no regrets. Well, that's not exclusive to tonight, but," he shrugged, grinning.

Cas exhaled. "That's not what I mean. I'm... I'm cursed." The man on the bed paused. "Okaaay... how?" Cas looked down. "Before I was born, a witch, she... she put a spell on me. When I saw you at the Poison Apple, I was under the influence of a potion that masked it. It's unbreakable-" "_What does it do_, dammit?" "-Every night at dusk... something happens to me." Dean looked hilariously petrified for a second.

"Did I marry a werewolf?" Cas chuckled. "No." Dean let out a relieved sigh. "Okay. I mean, like, it wouldn't have totally bothered me if you were, you know, but..." Cas shook his head. "It's alright, Dean, nothing like that."

It all started to make sense to Dean now, how Cas had left so quickly, and how he didn't want to sleep together their first night back. He felt a pang of sympathy for Cas, for how conflicted he must feel sharing what was probably his deepest secret.

Cas looked out the window again, and took a deep breath as the last of the sun hid behind the distant mountains. He turned, and let his shirt slip off, revealing his lean, naked chest, and his naked back, as wings appeared in full, shimmering into sight, and Castiel couldn't help the spread of red across his face and neck as he hung his head in shame.

He grimaced as he heard a small gasp-like sound from Dean, and he rubbed his arm. "Um... I understand if you want to leave... I won't hold you back. I can talk to my father, and-"

"They're beautiful!" is what Cas heard, and the King looked up. "P-pardon me?" Dean got up, a star struck gaze radiating from wide green eyes.

"They're... they're stunning," the other King repeated, and Cas was sure he had heard right this time. "But-" "But nothing, Cas. They're..._ you're_ gorgeous... how could you ever, _ever_ think that I would want to leave you for this? How could you think for a _second_ that I would ever stop loving you?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Tears were forming in Castiel's eyes, and Dean spoke softly. "Hey," he said, guiding Cas' jaw gently to look at him. "I'd rather have you- cursed or not. If you could even _call_ this a curse," he added.

Cas swallowed. "But, Zachariah said it was a flaw... that people would never find them attractive-" "Well, hate to burst that bubble of crap, but we've already established that Zach is a Class A douche, your father or not." Cas laughed a little, not disagreeing.

Dean then leaned in, and slowly but surely trailed his hands along Cas' upper arms, biting his lips as he felt the defined, lean muscles as they flexed under his light touch. Then he moved down to Cas' shoulder blades, and-

"Ohhh," Cas moaned, letting out a breath into Dean's mouth as Dean's fingers grazed the base of his wings. Dean's eyebrows went up. "Huh! Pleasure point. Alright, we can have some fun with this." Cas smiled bashfully. "They're sensitive, I suppose. I've never tried to... touch them, in that way. I wasn't sure how it would feel."

So Dean spent another long minute tracing the length of the wings, reveling in every shudder or groan Cas let go of in the process. Watching how blissful Castiel was as he experienced this made Dean so hard it hurt to shift.

"You're so fucking sexy," he mumbled, and Cas licked his lips. In a second, their hands were on each other, taking off and quickly discarding what was left of their clothes.

Dean fell back onto the bed, naked and wet, and Cas leaned down over top of him.

Dean thought for a second. _He was wrong... this felt nothing like he had feared it would before... this wasn't prostitution anymore... this was Cas, and it just felt so natural... so right._

Dean's legs fell open as he licked his full, pink lips in anticipation. His lips were swollen already from kissing, and Castiel felt himself twitch as he stared down at the man underneath him, ready and wanton to be taken. By _him_.

He then remembered that this was the first time they were having proper sex since what felt like _years_ ago, but was only about two weeks.

"Please fuck me, Castiel," Dean said huskily, low so that Cas could feel the vibrations through his chest. His eyes, droopy with love and lust, fell down to gaze at Dean's crotch, where his cock was full and dripping, standing straight against his stomach.

"Dean," Cas mumbled, feeling dizzy over how much he wanted to be in him. Dean silently brought his fingers up to his mouth, inserting two of the digits in and sucking on them. Castiel's eyes widened as he watched, like his own personal show.

Dean grinned. He _was_ a spectacular entertainer, and he knew it, so he decided to put to use all the tricks he had learned and exercised over the years. He took the fingers out of his mouth, an obscene trail of saliva linking them, and he slowly pushed them into his heat, moaning loudly as he scissored them in.

"Cas... Castiel-" Dean groaned, his breath hitching, and he slipped a third finger in, smiling wickedly as his eyes slid shut, knowing Cas was watching intently. Dean's cock was throbbing, and Castiel decided to help with that, wrapping cautious, slender fingers around it and pumping it slowly.

Dean's hips jerked up, and he threw his head back, gasping at the contact. "Your fingers are fucking _magic_, man," he whimpered, and Cas smiled, keeping up his pace in the way he stroked Dean.

Dean shuddered a little, then pushed his hand against Cas' deliriously to stop him. "Wait... I need you in me," he said, and Castiel nodded, lifting and slinging Dean's legs over his shoulders. Without hesitation, Cas replaced Dean's fingers with his cock, sliding in at a perfect angle.

"Oh, fuck!" Dean said, and Cas buried himself in Dean until he was fully received. He started to move, and Dean moaned. "Yeah... baby, oh, yeah," he panted, hooking his ankles around Cas' back and pulling him in deeper. "Just like that... oh, god, Cas, yes!"

Castiel let out a breathy growl as he snapped his hips back into Dean's, the sound of skin slapping echoing in the room. "Fuck yeah, harder, baby, harder-" Dean said, a sheen of sweat beginning to cover him.

"Dean," Cas mumbled, the name sounding so dirty coming from his mouth. "I need- oh, I need you..." "Tell me, Dean... what do you need...?" "D-deeper... god, please!" Cas gave slow, steady thrusts, his heavy cock stretching and filling Dean every time to the hilt and making the other man mewl for more.

"You're so beautiful, Dean," Cas said, breathing heavily as he thrust back in, "With your skin glistening in the starlight... your lips red and bitten, your eyes squeezed shut... I want to see you come. Fall apart beneath me."

Pleasure raked Dean's insides as he felt the beginnings of a glorious orgasm approaching, and he winced as he clenched around Cas, desperate to make them come together. Heat raged between them, and Dean could feel the sweat trickling down his forehead and the backs of his thighs, but he didn't care, he just wanted, _needed_ that pinnacle of release...

The tightening motion made Cas gasp a little, and he thrust in at a different angle in surprise, hitting Dean's prostate hard.

"AH!" the golden haired man cried, lifting his eyebrows, "Cas, Cas, n-need you... oh, baby, please say you're almost there..." "Yes, Dean, I'm not very far..." "Oh, god, you're so fucking hot... you're so fucking sexy and now you're all mine, and I'm all yours, and fucccckkk, Cas, I love you so god damn much..."

Cas smiled, the intensity of the moment swirling around them. He brought his lips down to ghost over Dean's, before planting a soft kiss on them. "I love you too, Dean."

Then he took Dean's hands and palm to palm, clutched them tightly as he rocked into Dean, the emotional connection between them strong and unbreakable, making the physical pleasure that much better. For Dean, staring up into his husband's radiant blue eyes, the first thing he noticed about him when they first met, was enough to send him over the edge.

As soon as Dean began to come, Cas came too, both of them breathing each other's air, tasting each other's lips, and as the waves of euphoria crashed over them, Dean shook beneath Cas, feeling on top of the world, like their love was positively endless in that moment and forever.

When the high faded into a pleasant afterglow of sloppy kisses and feeling hands, they lay together in a hazy embrace, Cas' arm around Dean as they slipped under the fluffy, white covers together.

Cas sighed. "That was amazing..." Dean nodded, still attempting to recover as he ran a trembling hand through his hair. "That was the best sex I've ever had." Cas looked over, and Dean laughed. "And I guess that's sure saying a lot, huh?"

They kissed again, a kiss that promised happiness for a long, long time. Their teeth grazed each other as they couldn't contain their grins, their lips fitting and moving apart again.

"I love you, my angel," Dean murmured, stroking Cas' back and around where his wings were limp and resting against his shoulders. Castiel searched Dean's eyes. "I'll always love you, Dean."

They lay together, staring out the window at the night-fallen kingdom that they were now the leaders of.

They had both changed so much in the matter of a couple of weeks, it was miraculous. But sometimes, the best things always happen within the shortest periods of time- that's how you know it's true, because there's no time for regret, hesitation, or disappointment.

Just because they were safe and sound now and everything was set for them here in the kingdom, doesn't mean they wouldn't have any more adventures. On the contrary, there would be many more adventures to come. But the difference was, they would face them together this time.

Castiel was glad he took the chance of slipping out that night. Dean was glad he had a thing for mysterious, cloaked men. And now, they were the Kings of Far Far Away...

And just as they were meant to from the start of it all, _they lived happily ever after. _

**THE END **


	16. Epilogue

Somewhere in the Deep Dark Woods, Robin sat in misery at the Poison Apple.

"Bested by a _cat_," he muttered to himself, "What kind of man am I?"

"One that needs to get over himself," Doris grumbled.

Robin scoffed. "How can I call myself a fearless archer anymore, hm? I could have been filthy rich! How can I be called an archer when I let a prize Pegasus just _slip_ through my fingers!" He wanted to add a prize something else, but he kept quiet, shaking his head instead.

Mabel rolled her eyes. "Cheer up." "How?!"

Doris suddenly thought of something, and smirked.

"Hey- there's a new spot to be filled since Winchester left- if you 'can't call yourself an archer' anymore, you can take the new job here."

The stepsisters chuckled as they watched Robin run, the oak tavern door swinging on its hinges. "And that, is how you get rid of an unwanted customer," Doris said, and the two cracked up.

**THE END (No, Seriously!)**


End file.
